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Sony A230

 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 front
 
Portability
69
Imaging
50
Features
40
Overall
46

Sony A230 summary

Sony A230 is Sony's Entry-Level DSLR camera first released on May of 2009. The camera houses a 10MP, CCD APS-C sized sensor and has a full resolution of 3872 x 2592.

Sony launched this camera to replace the previous Sony A200 (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards released the more recent Sony A290 (Read Full Comparison) as a way to update this camera.

The A230 places at #61 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras and over all #503 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please look at our Smart camera search to get camera listings based on your custom factors.

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Below is a graph of specific factors used in the rating system.

Sony A230 family

The Sony A230 is part of a family of digital cameras. You can read the detailed range below.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Sony-SLT-A68 front thumbnailSony A68
A230 vs A68
24MPAPS-C8.0 fps2015
Sony-SLT-A58 front thumbnailSony A58
A230 vs A58
20MPAPS-C8.0 fps2013
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Sony-SLT-A57 front thumbnailSony A57
A230 vs A57
16MPAPS-C12.0 fps2012
Sony-SLT-A37 front thumbnailSony A37
A230 vs A37
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2012
Sony-SLT-A65 front thumbnailSony A65
A230 vs A65
24MPAPS-C10.0 fps2011
Sony-SLT-A35 front thumbnailSony A35
A230 vs A35
16MPAPS-C6.0 fps2011
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A580 front thumbnailSony A580
A230 vs A580
16MPAPS-C7.0 fps2011
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A560 front thumbnailSony A560
A230 vs A560
14MPAPS-C5.0 fps2010
Sony-SLT-A33 front thumbnailSony A33
A230 vs A33
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-SLT-A55 front thumbnailSony A55
A230 vs A55
16MPAPS-C10.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A390 front thumbnailSony A390
A230 vs A390
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A290 front thumbnailSony A290
A230 vs A290
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A450 front thumbnailSony A450
A230 vs A450
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2010
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A550 front thumbnailSony A550
A230 vs A550
14MPAPS-C7.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A500 front thumbnailSony A500
A230 vs A500
12MPAPS-C5.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A380 front thumbnailSony A380
A230 vs A380
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A330 front thumbnailSony A330
A230 vs A330
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A230 front thumbnailSony A23010MPAPS-C3.0 fps2009
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A200 front thumbnailSony A200
A230 vs A200
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
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Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A350 front thumbnailSony A350
A230 vs A350
14MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A300 front thumbnailSony A300
A230 vs A300
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2008
Sony-Alpha-DSLR-A100 front thumbnailSony A100
A230 vs A100
10MPAPS-C3.0 fps2006

Sony A230 Pros and Cons

Below is a selection of pros and cons of the Sony A230 based on features that are often regarded as important in a camera.

delivers RAW formats
focusing manually
great minimum ISO (100)
has built in flash
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes HDMI out
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
display is not selfie friendly
doesn't have liveview
fixed screen
lack of external mic support
lack of headphone support
lack of Time Lapse mode
max frames per second low (3.0 frames per second)
megapixel count low (10MP)
no video shooting
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dots)
terrible battery life (230 per charge)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
Photography Glossary

Sony A230 Sensor specifications

The Sony A230 features the Bionz processor. The spec of the sensor on the Sony A230 is 23.5mm x 15.7mm (APS-C). The 369 mm² sensor can capture 3872 x 2592 pixels at aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Sensor based). In body stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter may lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor boasts 10MP and delivers a native ISO range of 100 to 3200. RAW format is supported which means that you have wider margin for error.

The image below shows the A230's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The A230 sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.5 and is outlined in green.

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To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sony A230 dimensions

Sony A230 weighs about 1.08 lb (490g / 17.28 oz) and features external proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7"). The weight of average Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540g and the Sony A230 is similar as compared with various competitors.

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Below is a photo of the Sony A230 with a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its scale.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 dimensions scale

The top view below will show the button layout on the A230.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 topview buttons dials

Sony A230 Lens specifications

The A230 uses the Sony/Minolta Alpha mount and has 145 lenses available on the market. Below is some of the lenses we have in our database which will work with the A230.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
Tamron-SP-AF-17-50mm-F2.8-XR-Di-II-LD-Aspherical-IF-Sony-Alpha lensTamron SP AF 17-50mm F2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical IF17-50mmf/2.8 430g
Sigma-18-50mm-F2.8-4.5-DC-OS-HSM-Sony-Alpha lensSigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM18-50mmf/2.8-4.5 395g
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Samyang-T-S-24mm-f3.5-ED-AS-UMC-Sony-Alpha lensSamyang T-S 24mm f3.5 ED AS UMC24mmf/3.5 680g
Lensbaby-Burnside-35-Sony-Alpha lensLensbaby Burnside 3535mmf/2.8374g
Rokinon-8mm-f3.5-Aspherical-Fisheye-Sony-Alpha lensRokinon 8mm f3.5 Aspherical Fisheye8mmf/3.5 443g
Rokinon-35mm-f1.4-Sony-Alpha lensRokinon 35mm f1.435mmf/1.4 660g
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Hartblei-Superrotator-80mm-F2.8-IF-TS-Sony-Alpha lensHartblei Superrotator 80mm F2.8 IF TS80mmf/2.8 850g
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Sony A230 Connectivity

The A230 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes
  • HDMI Yes

Digital cameras which have NFC or Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can easily copy pictures and oftentimes alter settings with no need to connect straight to the camera.

Certain applications even stream a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it can be attached to an external monitor. Nearly all cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Sony A230 Video specifications

Sony A230 doesn't capture video. If you are wanting a camera to take only photos, this is not a concern.

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Sony A230 Weather Sealing

There is no environment proofing for the Sony A230 so you need to be careful in rainy and dusty conditions.

Sony A230 Display and Viewfinder

The Sony A230 is equipped with a 2.7 inch fixed display boasting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder details regarding Sony A230 are below:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
  • Coverage 95%
  • Magnification 0.55x

Viewfinders are very handy for bright outdoor conditions which can make the camera display washed out and very difficult to view.

Sony A230 Shutter specifications

Sony A230 can shoot continuously at 3.0 frames per second. The max shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

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Sony A230 Flash and Hot shoe specifications

Sony A230 has got both in-built flash and also external flash support. The max flash sync speed is 1/160 seconds.

Sony A230 Autofocusing specifications

Sony A230 has got both Phase Detect Auto Focus and Contrast Based Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot quicker & accurate compared with Contrast Based autofocusing.

The Sensor supports 9 focus points to select from. Sony A230 boasts manual focusing when required for low light conditions or you require more precise focusing control.

Photography Glossary

Sony A230 Battery life

The battery life (NP-FH50) for the Sony A230 is fashioned to last for 230 photos according to the CIPA measurements making it less as compared with its competitors. The average Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x has got the best (1900) battery life for this class of cameras.

Underneath is a number of Entry-Level DSLR cameras which have the best battery life:

Sony A230 for varying styles of photography

The following bar chart shows a rundown of the Sony A230 for varying styles of photography. To read more, scroll to the specific paragraph below.

Sony A230 Portrait photography advice

The Sony A230 receives a points tally of 54 which is moderate, and means the camera is relatively suitable for portraits. Shooting portrait images favors greatly towards sensor specs, support for RAW files together with the ability to utilize off-camera lighting.

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focusing manually
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
no liveview feature
megapixel count low (10MP)

Sony A230 Street photography advice

Getting a very good rating of 67, the Sony A230 is a fine option for street photography. A decent street photography camera has a perfect balance of picture quality plus portability.

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has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
screen is fixed

Sony A230 Sports photography details

A decent sports photography score of 46 means the Sony A230 is somewhat suitable for shooting sports. A camera should have fantastic focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
no liveview
slow frames per second (3.0 frames/s)
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
terrible battery (230 shots)

Sony A230 Travel photography details

Weight is super important in choosing a travel camera. Over-all, the Sony A230 gets a terrible 45 for a travelling camera which makes it not very good to buy for your vacations.

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built-in flash
no Timelapse mode
low battery (230 per charge)
low MP (10 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly

Sony A230 Landscape photography details

For anybody who is planning to buy a camera for landscape photos, the biggest aspect is going to be image quality. The Sony A230 and it's moderate rating of 51 for a landscape camera is somewhat adequate within the current market.

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focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW files
screen is small (2.7 inch)
no liveview feature
low MP (10MP)
bad battery power (230 CIPA)
no Timelapse function

Vlogging with Sony A230

A vlogging camera should really posses a moving display, mic input and preferably IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Sony A230 is not very good as a vlog camera as it delivers a terrible rating of 9.

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can't record video

Sony A230 Alternatives

If you are trying to find replacements to the A230, below is a selection of the highest scored cameras which fall within the class of Entry-Level DSLR.

The diagram down below offers you a bird's eye view of the A230 compared to it's highest ranking rivals shown earlier.

Following are additional cameras you might take into account as alternative options. To read through a thorough comparison, simply click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Sony
Model type
Sony Alpha DSLR-A230
Type
Entry-Level DSLR
Released
2009-05-18
Physical type
Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Powered by
Bionz
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor dimensions
23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area
369.0mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution
3872 x 2592
RAW pictures
Max native ISO
3200
Lowest native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens mount type
Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of lenses
143
Focal length multiplier
1.5
Screen
Type of display
Fixed Type
Display size
2.7 inches
Resolution of display
230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage
95%
Viewfinder magnification
0.55x
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
63
DXO Color Depth rating
22.3
DXO Dynamic range rating
11.4
DXO Low light rating
531
Features
Minimum shutter speed
30s
Fastest shutter speed
1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate
3.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance
10.00 m
Flash modes
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize
1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Max video resolution
None
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
490g (1.08 lbs)
Physical dimensions
128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7")
Other
Battery life
230 pictures
Battery style
Battery Pack
Battery ID
NP-FH50
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type
SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots
Single
Price at release
$569