Sony Alpha a290

316 reviews

Nov, 2024

Positive
usability (169)
price (51)
portability (48)
image quality (43)
performance (30)

Negative
lens (30)
viewfinder (8)
flash (7)
shutter (6)
exposure (5)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 316 reviews of Sony Alpha a290. The average rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Reviewers are impressed by the performance and image quality. The portability and price are also appreciated. Some have doubts about the low light performance and shutter. Views are divided on the battery.

usability, price, portability, image quality, performance

lens, flash, viewfinder, shutter, low-light

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Sony Alpha a290 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 87/100 = Very good quality.

See all Sony Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 316 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(46% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (46% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (6% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (1% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (1% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
Show positive (89%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)

price
Show positive (74%)Show negative (26%)(Show all)

portability
Show positive (79%)Show negative (21%)(Show all)

lens
Show positive (38%)Show negative (63%)(Show all)

image quality
Show positive (91%)Show negative (9%)(Show all)

More features

Showing 208 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 32 of 208 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (108)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Sony Alpha a290

alaTest has collected and analyzed 17 user reviews of Sony Alpha a290 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. Comments about the durability and price are generally positive. The portability and image quality are also appreciated, but there are some mixed reviews about the reliability.

usability, image quality, portability, price, durability

100% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Sony Alpha a290

alaTest has collected and analyzed 5 user reviews of Sony Alpha a290 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. People are impressed by the portability. Comments are divided on the usability. Some have doubts about the performance.

portability

performance

80% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Nov, 2024

Expert review by : Audley Jarvis (whatdigitalcamera.com)

Sony Alpha A290 review

The Sony A290: the perfect DSLR for those on a small budget? The What Digital Camera Sony A290 review tests it out...

Ultra-affordable

Limited features

Feb, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by : Dave Stevenson (reghardware.co.uk)

Sony Alpha A290

Review The topmost plastic of the 14.2Mp Sony A290 might be slightly mottled to make it look like it's a distant relation to magnesium alloy, but pick it up and it's easy enough to guess where the camera lies in Sony's range – the all-plastic finish is...

Performance is good, rather than great. The fastest the A290 went in continuous mode was just under 2fps. This is fine for blink-free portrait shots but not so much use for wildlife. On the plus side, it has a capacious buffer, taking 20 frames in JPEG...

Sep, 2010

Read the full review

Expert review by : Andrew Hoyle (wired.co.uk)

Sony Alpha a290 DSLR camera review

The 14.2-megapixel Sony a290 aims to bridge amateurs into thebusy world of the DSLR, offering decent image quality, simpleoperation and a host of scene selections within a small andlightweight body that, at £400, could be a smart choice for...

Helpful onscreen guides make life easy for beginners. Small,lightweight design. Wide range of lenses available. Built-in flash.Good value for money

Average low light performance. Cheap feel to construction. NoLive View mode and no video capture

If you are used to your compact digital cameras and somewhatnervous about making the leap to a DSLR, the a290 should definitelybe on your mind due to its great ease of use.

Aug, 2010

Read the full review

Expert review by (photographymonthly.com)

Easy-to-use DSLR-A390 and DSLR-A290

Ideal for first-time DSLR users, the DSLR-A390 (α390) and DSLR-A290 (α290) offer a dramatic step up in picture quality and creative options from point-and-shoot compact cameras. Just as importantly, they're incredibly easy to use, even if you've never...

Jun, 2010

Read the full review

Consumer review (sony.com)

First SLR & I Love It!!!!

This is my first SLR & i really do love it! The image quality is much better than my other camera (The T90), & the auto focus is unbelievably fast. The viewfinder is pretty good (It could be a little larger) & the viewfinder sometimes is blurry even...

Small, Lightweight, Good Image Quality, Battery Life, Captures in 16:9, Easy to Use, Great Price

Image Stabilization not always reliable, leading to soemtimes blurry photos

Jul, 2010

Read the full review

Consumer review (reviewstream.com)

Sony a290 DSLR camera

by James Flynn TRUSTWORTHY I would like to share my thoughts with you about my camera. Until around a year ago, my knowledge of cameras was very limited. I am still no expert, but I have learnt a lot over the last year thanks to my sony SLR.

Jan, 2012

Read the full review

Consumer review (buydig.com)

Excellent beginer camera

This is a great DSLR camera to begin with, having all the necessary features to take great pics. The picture quality is pretty nice in all settings, except at ISO 800+ where the picture quality gets a bit cloudy. Other than that, it\'s a great camera...

Good battery life","Good picture quality","Well explained menus

Low quality at high ISO\'s

Mar, 2011

Read the full review

Consumer review (buydig.com)

I am quite satisfied

camera is as recommended to me. I am getting used to using a viewfinder again.

I am just learning to use

Getting used to viewfinde

Jan, 2011

Read the full review

Consumer review (shopping.com)

Perfect decently priced DSLR!

I love this camera! It is very user-friendly (especially if you are new to using a DSLR digital camera!) I got this camera to replace my Sony Cybershot basic digital camera, and I'm really glad that I did so. The pictures from this camera are amazing!...

Easy to Use, Excellent Picture Quality, Lightweight

None submitted

Sep, 2010

Read the full review

Consumer review (mouthshut.com)

Sony DSLR A290L

I bought my Sony A290 five months ago, and I've been using it regularly since. For starters, it must be said it's really easy to handle for most things. The usual complaint I've read about the grip being too small for large hands seems to be unfounded...

Jun, 2015

Read the full review