My last 20 postshave been about the Panasonic FZ1000, the most interesting camera to enter my household in the last 60 years. There is more to come about the FZ1000 but here, by way of an interlude is a brief review of the Sony A3500.
Sony is the most innovative camera maker of the current era, producing many new and conceptually different products some of which have succeeded in the market place.
Sony appears to have a predilection for USP (Unique Selling Point) targets. Thus the RX1 has the biggest sensor in the smallest body. The RX100 is the smallest compact with the largest sensor combined with a zoom lens. The A7 is the smallest interchangeable lens camera with a full frame sensor.
The A3500 is the cheapestDSLR lookalike camera with DSLR image quality.
I bought one over the counter retail in Sydney for $300 with lens and Sony Australia warranty. I wanted to discover for myself if it really is possible to get DSLR/MILC image quality at such a ridiculously low price.
I discovered that yes, it is possible, but in order to reach that price point many of the features which photographers might expect from a DSLR type camera have been omitted, adversely affecting the user experience.
The Concept I have no knowledge of the deliberations of Sony's product development people. But I am guessing the idea for A3500 might have arisen something like this:
* Lots of people buy a DSLR then use it like a point and shoot. They set the Mode Dial to fully auto. They hold the camera at arm's length and view on the monitor.
* So let's give them a camera which looks like a DSLR and has the picture quality of a DSLR but has the feature set and user interface of a point and shoot compact. Take out the features which these people do not use and we can dramatically lower the price point.
Which all sounds quite logical except that those people using their DSLR as a point and shoot may not be behaving altogether logically in the first place. Maybe they expect to get better results if they pay more.
Description Sized like a DSLR, looks like a DSLR, works like a compact. The A3500 uses the same body as the A3000 but has a less expensive, lower featured lens.
Specifications Although the spec sheet is mostly very basic there are some welcome features. There is a proper battery level indicator reading a % charge. The AF box is easy to move around the frame. Unfortunately AF box size cannot be changed. Peaking is available and would be useful if a different lens was mounted. The shutter uses electronic first curtain which eliminates shutter shock. Very welcome. There is a built in flash unit which is useful.
Sweep Panorama is available. Sony does this feature well so it is very welcome on the A3500.
Picture Quality Is very good. The camera uses a previous generation 28mm (diagonal) sensor which produces very smooth, clear pictures at low ISO settings and is just behind (slightly more noisy than) the Panasonic GH4 at high ISO settings. Considering the GH4 with 12-35mm f2.8 lens costs more than 8 times as much, that is remarkable.
So Sony has managed to hit it's USP target in fine style. Unfortunately the story goes downhill from there.
Performance Judged as a point and shoot camera for novices or uncritical snapshooters the A3500 works well enough. It responds promptly to user inputs. Single autofocus is decently prompt and accurate. This is not the camera for sport/action/moving subjects. I found the camera could fire 3 shots in the first second then one per second.
Cost cutting is very evident in the lens. The focal length range is limited to 18-50mm. The aperture range is restricted to f4-f5.6. The lens is quite prone to flare if sun is allowed to fall on the front element. There is no OIS and no facility for manual focus. Massive barrel distortion is evident at the wide end in RAW images, although the distortion is corrected in JPGs. The mount is plastic.
There is good news. Sharpness is quite impressive across most of the focal length range, just fading a little at the long end. Corners are soft at the wide end. But overall most photographs taken with this lens look sharp and clear.
And Sony supplies a lens hood which is nice.
Ergonomics
Setup Phase The menu system is reasonably easy to follow but there are some odd placements. For instance Aspect Ratio is under Image Size and ISO is under Brightness/Color. Flash compensation is under Brightness/Color but Flash Mode is under Camera. I get the logic but it would have been more user friendly to congregate all the flash related items together.
Prepare Phase There is no quick Menu, no My Menu and no Function buttons with user assignable tasks. So you have to visit the main menus for anything beyond ISO, Drive Mode and Exposure Compensation.
If you accept this is a camera to use in Auto or P Modes it's not so bad.
Capture Phase
Holding There is a large handle which in use is not quite as comfortable or secure as it looks. It is rather thin and the thumb support is just barely adequate.
Viewing There is an EVF but it is one of the least appealing features of the camera. It is of very low resolution and poor quality. Looking through this EVF is not an uplifting experience. Fortunately key camera data are displayed on a black background beneath the preview image.
The monitor is of better quality. It is fixed. Like the EVF it is not adjustable.
There is no auto switching between the monitor and EVF. The button which performs this function is inconveniently located high up on the right side of the EVF hump where it cannot be reached with either hand unless one of those hands releases grip on the camera.
Operating There is no Command Dial. To change aperture in A Mode or shutter speed in S Mode you have to turn the milled ring around the unmarked button on the rear of the camera. This requires some practice to avoid pressing the ring thereby activating ISO, Disp or Drive Mode. I soon learned to leave the camera in Auto or P Mode where it worked quite well. In P Mode and Auto ISO the camera selected shutter speeds, apertures and ISO settings which I thought were appropriate for the current subject.
Review Image playback works reasonably well but you have to use the single dial for zoom and navigation. This works but is nowhere near as streamlined as a camera with a command dial in addition to the lower rear dial.
Summary As is often the case, Sony has with the A3500 gone boldly where others have not ventured. The camera does what Sony claims it will do. Mission accomplished, it would seem.
But: I think Sony has chosen the wrong mission. I think their mission should at all times be to make cameras which people enjoy using.
The cost cutting needed to reach the extraordinarily low price point has resulted in a product which is really not enjoyable to use and that is the problem.
Verdict My advice is to pass on the A3500. Save your money for a better specified camera which is more enjoyable to use.
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