Sony A3000 Review: More camera than you’d dare dream of for just $350—with lens!

 

 

Some cameras are all about cramming in as many features as possible, even if you'll seldom use them. The Sony A3000 doesn't play that game. This is a camera that's been pared down to the basics -- you get precisely what you need, and little more. But boy, does its thrifty approach ever pay dividends when it comes time to fetch your wallet.

Available for the staggering price of US$350 with a stabilized kit lens, the Sony A3000 is among the most affordable interchangeable-lens cameras on the market -- and most of its rivals at the price point are much older designs. But it's one thing to make an affordable camera, and another entirely to make an affordable camera that you'd actually want to own.

We don't know how they've done it, but the Sony A3000 somehow falls into the latter category. It might cost less than many bridge cameras, but the A3000 still delivers on the versatility of an interchangeable-lens design, and does so without the compromises of plastic mounts on the lens and body taken by most of its competitors.

But that's not to say that there are no compromises in this camera. Assuredly, there are: You wouldn't expect otherwise for US$350 or less, and we discuss these in our just-published Sony A3000 review.

If you're in the market for an affordable interchangeable-lens camera, you've been looking at a bridge camera or a fixed-lens compact, or you're simply considering ditching a camera altogether and using your smartphone,  you owe it to yourself to read our in-depth Sony A3000 review (and take a look at our sample photos) before you make your decision!