Both do feature the new 14 Megapixel CCD sensor.
And A390 has Quick LiveView, while A290 has not.
No video.
Introductory prices in Sweden (approximately converted to Euro)
A290 + 18-55 mm 600 Euro
A390 + 18-55 mm 800 Euro
Common specs for both A290 and A390:
9 AF points
ISO up to 3200
In-camera SteadyShot
2,7″ Screen
Either Memory Stick or SD memory cards (no dual slot, but a single combo slot).
New Help Guide + Tip Function (very clever, says the magazine writer).
HDMI Output
via: photorumors
17 Responses
As Crap as expected… yay! *sarcasm*
I really don’t understand what all the excitement is about.
It ‘s just another low budget plastic consumer toy.
It’s a nice beginner camera, the a390 looks good, but I think the old noisy CCD is pretty outdated unless they have improved the ISO ALOT. The prices seems very un-sony like, too high.
It looks like there is some extra grip or something on the back?
Picard Facepalm
Ok. I do understand it’s a beginner camera, but what the heck is that price? Come on!
How ridiculous are these prices? What the hell are Sony smoking?
They use old scrap pieces from the old cameras and package it in a new body and sell it for more? lol
The A230 and A380 have been selling dirt cheap for months now and that’s the price point that these new cameras should fill.
AU$545 = US$445 for the single kit A230 and AU$625 = US$511 for the single kit A380 are the local prices here in Australia right now. That’s as much as I would be willing to pay for these models as well since they’re basically exactly the same with a new grip.
Sony look like they’re losing their way…
Wow steep price.
$200 more than the cheapest Canon at amazon.
$300 more than the cheapest Nikon from amazon.
Although both of those are 10mp, might be sony’s justification… Its not a valid one thou.
Must be a mistake no way these camera’s will sell at that price.
Yes, in Spain right now the a380 + kit les can be found for 435 euros. The a390 is roughly the same camera so the price won’t be much higher.
That’s an awfully big point and shoot! They did at least put on a shutter button, I wondered if they might make that automatic too.
I dream of the opposite, a fully manual; drop the face detection auto picture mode crap. Just a cheap SLR that helps people learn to take great pictures on their own. Would be perfect for students.
@Hashbrown
Switch to manual and get yourself a light meter. Job done. Nobody forces you to use the features found on a SLR/dSLR camera.
The new body looks nice in both design and ergonomics (Which is nice given how poor the previous generation was), too bad they stuffed the long-obsolete 14MP CCD sensor in it and then priced it OVER the more capable Pentax K-x.
This is sadly an incipient failure for Sony. Either they need to drop the pricing massively. Hint, the Nikon D3000 (similar in capability to the A290 aside from resolution) is selling well under $500CDN, not at 600 euros while the D5000 which is more capable than the A390 is under $600CDN for the body, not $800 Euros.
The K-x simply destroys these new bodies in capability (4.7fps, LV, HD Video, ISO 12,800 with class-leading performance) and runs $600CDN with the kit lens. Ditto the similarly priced Rebel T1i/EOS 500D.
Congrats Sony on another abject failure in the consumer DSLR market.
What should Sony have done? This body design in a single variation with the A500 sensor and processing for the A290’s list price. Restrict to 3.5-4fps to differentiate more from the A5x0 bodies but add main-sensor LV.
Again all these betterwissers pop up, thinking they know market strategies better than the one of the worlds absolute biggest electronic company!. You take this price RUMOR as final official tag?!… haven’t any of you learned that sony sells under Canikon by now??m and for the Pentax..yeah sure it has to offer more, no one would ever by it otherwise, Pentax is the shadowside, not Sony which is soon on level with Canikon.
No way those prices are accurate, way too high for that feature set. I know it’s just rumor but I am highly disappointed about the lack of video capability.
eerikoo:
Sony prices over Canikon in the consumer market. The A230 costs more than the D3000 in most markets and about the same as the Rebel XS/EOS 1000D, the A380 is typically the same as the D5000 or T1i/500D while delivering a lot less performance. The A550 costs more than a D90 or T2i/550D. Sony’s sole entry into the ‘costs less than the equivalent Canikon is the A850 right now, although the A500 is arguable against CaNikon (but not against Pentax)
In other words, Sony would need to price the new bodies under the old to be competitive with Canikon on price and they also have to deal with the fact that the A390 is massively underspecified for its likely price given that it lacks a CMOS sensor, ISO settings over 3200, HD video or main-sensor LV and is likely still a 2.5-3fps body at a pricepoint where 4fps is becoming the standard and 5fps is not unthinkable. It would need to be $500USD with the kit lens to not run into problems with being underspecified compared to the D5000, T1i/500D or K-x.
The A290 makes sense as a budget leader if priced comparably to the D3000, but the A390 ignores the market as it stands unless it’s priced just over where the A290 is viable and that’s unlikely. I’m not expecting the A390 to come in at less than the A380’s current $699USD price point (with kit 18-55) which is around
Note that Pentax has been outselling Sony in the consumer market since last fall, and CaNikon have been completely destroying them. Not all of that is the ergonomic issues with the current generation low-end Alpha’s, the massive overpricing of the mid-range consumer Alpha’s is equally a problem. Who’s going to buy the Sony when the Nikon/Pentax/Canon offers more capability, better IQ at the same or lower price.
(well, right now the K-x is destroying everything on price and performance, they’re $513USD at B&H with the kit lens for A500/T2i performance)
looks like Sony’s getting rid of some old components dressed up as new DSLR’s ?