The Sony Alpha A380 SLR is one of three in the alpha series, and is a very good starting point for any budding photographer. Its predecessors (the A320 and A330) have almost identical specifications apart from producing lower resolution photos i.e. A330 10.9 Megapixel, A380 14.2 Megapixel.

It holds all the basic functions that one would expect from the more costly DSLRs such as being able to manipulate aperture and exposure as the photographer sees fit. These functions allow for a wide range of photo types to be taken, such as portraits, low light exposures, etc.

A major let down for the Alpha series is the slow shutter speed when shooting in sport mode or when trying to capture fast moving subjects. This can be helped by using a faster processing memory card however.

This camera is a worthwhile purchase for anyone seeking to upgrade from smaller digital camera and wishes to go pro in the future.