Sony Alpha 500 Review

Handling & ease of use
It seems that despite the tough economic climate, sales of digital SLRs continue to be healthy, particularly at the more affordable end of the market. The Alpha 500 sits at the top end of the entry-level sector, above the A230 (and recently announced A450). As such, it shares many of the design and control set-ups of the budget models, but also features a wider range of functions to appeal to more experienced users.
From the front, the all-black finish of the Alpha 500 gives it a modern and trendy look. Pick it up, though, and you may find that it's not as sleek as you might have first thought: it has a boxy shape, 
a deep body and is heavier than the majority of its rivals. That said, the pronounced shape of the handgrip, along with the rubberised finish, provides for a very secure hold.
Complete novices to using DSLRs may find the plethora of buttons located on the A500's top-plate and rear somewhat intimidating, but this Sony isn't as difficult to use as it may first seem. The majority of buttons are clearly marked, nicely spaced and large enough to be used easily, even while wearing gloves. The Fn (Function) button provides a one-press access to several key facilities on the Alpha 500, including the AF (autofocus) mode, ISO ratings and White Balance, which is useful when you want to make several changes as quickly as possible.
The size and quality of the LCD monitor has proven to be a key selling factor and the A500 boasts a 3in screen that can be extended and tilted up or down (but not swivelled from side to side). Its 230,000-dot screen doesn't provide the ultra-sharp resolution of more expensive models, but is on a par with others in this price point.
The viewfinder isn't much different to other models in this sector either, with a 95 percent coverage and a sharp screen with markings for the nine AF points and central metering circle, along with exposure information along the base.
Overall, the Sony hasn't any major design or handling flaws and is pretty easy to use, but it also lacks any real sparkle and proves to be pragmatic rather than exciting to use.
Score 20/25

Features
The Alpha 500 offers a 12.3-megapixel Exmor CMOS sensor, which is on a par with the majority of its rivals, although it has a slightly lower resolution than the 14.2-megapixel A450, announced this month, even though the A500 is classed as being higher up in the range.
The general specification is very good and offers a wide range of features to cater for the vast majority of mainstream photographic interests.
There is a full set of exposure modes, from fully-automatic scene programs to semi-auto and manual modes, to suit all levels of users from beginner to advanced amateur. Exposure options are taken care of, with three metering patterns (40-zone Honeycomb, spot and centre-weighted average) as well as various overrides, including AE-Lock, exposure compensation and AE bracketing. The A500 offers a number of autofocus options based around a nine-point system (with central cross-sensor). You've the choice of single, continuous (predictive-AF) or Auto-AF modes, and as is standard, the choice to select an individual AF point or have all working simultaneously. Switch on the Live View facility via the top-plate control and you can also select face detection AF too.
As with all DSLRs in its class, the Alpha 500 offers an integral flash with a wide variety of modes, including auto pop-up (in certain exposure modes), rear-curtain sync, slow-sync and even wireless flash control. Other features of note that round off a comprehensive specification include the SteadyShot system built into the body, which provides image stabilisation to any lens attached to the camera, a wide sensitivity range of ISO 200-12,800 and a continuous shooting rate of five frames-per-second.
Score 21/25

Performance
In general, the Sony turns in a tidy performance and easily handled all general picture-taking situations. The autofocus zips quickly into action and locks on to the subject positively, although the AF motor on the DT 18-55mm is noticeably noisier than the likes of Canon and Nikon. The 40-segment Honeycomb metering system is very good with both ambient and flash exposures and proved pretty reliable with snowy scenes, where often gross underexposure is expected.
The Quick AF Live View and swivel-mounted LCD monitor work extremely well together and will prove a real benefit not only when you're shooting from unusual angles, but also when you want to fire off some candids without being noticed. The face detection AF proved very useful in this respect and while not 100 percent reliable, did have a very high success rate. Colour reproduction is fairly natural, with the subtlety of the tulips captured well and skin tones accurately. Image sharpness is good, while noise isn't an issue until you set ISO 800 or above.
Score 22/25

Supplied accessories
The Sony Alpha 500 kit is supplied with the following accessories: 
Battery charger (BC-VM10), Li-ion battery (NP-FM500H), wide strap, USB cable, body cap, eyepiece cover, software CD, instruction manual and DT 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM lens.
How does the A500 compare to its sisters?
It's worth noting how the A500 differs from two of its closest Alpha stablemates. The main difference of the £680 A550 is it has a 14.2-megapixel sensor, superior (920,000-dot) LCD and slightly different styling, while the £590 A450 also has a 14.2-megapixel resolution.

Viewfinder screen
The viewfinder size and brightness is similar to virtually every other DSLR in this price bracket. Black markings show the AF 


Quick AF Live View
Sony's Quick AF Live View function, selected via a switch on the right side of the top-plate, is better than any rival Live View system. In fact, the autofocus performance in Live View is on a par with how it works when set to standard operation, which puts it way ahead of the clumsy and slow systems of other DSLR brands. The inclusion of the tilt-action LCD monitor makes using Live View even more practical and convenient.
honeycomb metering.
The Sony's 40-segment metering pattern was tested in a variety of shooting situations and delivered a very good performance. Even snow-filled scenes were handles well.

Verdict
The Alpha 500 has lots of features and proves to be a competent performer. Whether that is enough for it to become a major success remains to be seen, as there are many other DSLRs on offer that could be described in a similar fashion. This includes the Canon EOS 1000D and Nikon D3000, as well as the highly capable Pentax K-x, all of which have the edge in terms of design and handling. With 'megapixels' being a key buying factor, the A500 may struggle to pull attention away from the A550 and new A450, which share many of its features, but from Sony's perspective, having three models within this popular price point can only help boost its market share. It's a decent DSLR but faces tough competition from rival brands and other Sony models.

Handling & ease of use 20/25
Features 21/25
Performance 22/25
Value for Money 20/25
Overall 83/100