Sony Alpha 330

The Alpha 330 is a Sony DSLR released in 2009. It measures 128 x 97 x 71mm and weighs 529g, which makes it light and compact for a DSLR, so it slips into a bag without much thought.

Shooting centres on an APS-C CCD sensor and the Sony Alpha DT lens mount. You compose through an optical pentamirror viewfinder, or switch to live view on the tilting LCD for tripod work.

This is a stills-only camera with no movie recording, so it suits straightforward still photography rather than hybrid stills-and-video use.

The 10.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor keeps file sizes small and gives enough resolution for everyday prints and web sharing. Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 3200, with the base setting a sensible starting point for daylight work.

Stabilisation is built into the body rather than the lens, so every Alpha DT lens you mount benefits, including glass with no stabilisation of its own. It helps with handheld shots at slower shutter speeds, though it will not stop a moving subject.

Autofocus uses nine points, and the shutter runs to a maximum of 1/4000 second. The top burst rate of 2.5fps is a maximum figure rather than a sustained speed, so it suits occasional sequences more than fast action.

You compose through an optical pentamirror viewfinder, which gives a direct view of the scene with no display lag. That traditional framing experience still works well for learning exposure and composition.

The Alpha 330 does not record video of any kind. There is no movie mode, so no maximum resolution, frame rate or recording-duration figures apply. Everything the camera produces is a still image.

There is no built-in timelapse function either, so the camera cannot generate motion sequences on its own.

Anyone wanting video or timelapse content alongside stills will need a separate device. The Alpha 330 handles still photography only.

The 2.7-inch LCD tilts, which helps with overhead or waist-level shots, and live view makes the screen useful for tripod work. It is small, however, and 230,400 dots look coarse when you review fine detail.

There is no touchscreen, and no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so the camera offers no wireless connection to a phone or computer. Remote control and wireless image transfer are therefore not options here.

A built-in flash covers simple indoor fill, and the hotshoe accepts external flash units when you want more power for portraits or indoor events.

A Features score of 34 places the camera in the bottom 15% of cameras in our database for Features. The missing weather sealing, touchscreen, Bluetooth and modest screen dot count account for the lost points. Because the body is not weather sealed, keep it under cover when conditions turn.

A single slot accepts SD and SDHC cards or Memory Stick Pro Duo and Pro-HG Duo media, so you can use whichever type you already own. With one slot there is no duplicate recording, so carry a spare card for a full day out.

The NP-FH50 battery is rated at 230 shots, which is a modest result. Plan on a charged spare for anything beyond a short outing rather than assuming the rating covers a whole day.

There is no USB charging, so the battery has to come out and go into an external charger between sessions. These storage and power limits give the section its score of 13, so budget for spare cards and batteries rather than expecting the body to manage a long shoot alone.