My wife has a gift for photography; I don't. Sony is interested in helping people like me figure out photography by introducing several consumer-minded DSLR cameras. The new a230, a330 and a380 give a user the quality and options of SLR cameras but they are light and simplistic like point and shoot cameras.

First, the new cameras are very light weight. The a230 weighs in at only 16 oz, which is very acceptable cor a complex and feature-rich camera. The user interface of the new cameras has also been simplified. It resembles the UI of the more consumer focused Sony Cybershot series. Some might see this as a "dumbing down" of a camera, but this is designed for an amateur photographer - not the pros. Lastly, the new DSLR cameras have several features that are designed for the casual user including a swivel LCD panel and HDMI output for viewing slide shows on a TV.

The cameras are also more affordable than professional DSL models. The a230 will run $550, the a330 is $650, and the a380 is $850. For people looking to improve their photography experience, without a huge investment or shocking learning curve the a230 should do nicely.

via PhotoRunner