Competition between Canon and Sony in the $1000 bracket of the DSLR market is unbelievably fierce, and we had a hard time picking a winner between the Canon 1000D and the Sony A330.
They both offer Live View, and the Sony edges it on display size by only 0.2in. The 1000D takes the honours in our burst mode test at 3.64fps, but that's only over four frames. Over five seconds the Sony averaged 2.5fps to the Canon's 1.7fps.
Both come with image stabilisation built in, but it's here that the A330 begins to pull away. The Canon 1000D's image stabilisation comes courtesy of its 18-55mm IS lens, where the A330 makes miniscule adjustments to the image sensor to keep things steady.
The upshot is that every lens you attach to the Alpha, no matter how cheap, will be stabilised. With the Canon, however, you'll need to buy more expensive lenses. The A330 also beats the 1000D by offering a proper spot-metering mode.
The Sony scores a considerable coup with its Live View feature. This is nothing unusual in DSLRs at this price; in this test, seven of our ten cameras have it.
But because of the way image focusing is done in most DSLRs, if you want to focus while using Live View you either need to flip up the mirror to use the dedicated focus sensor, or focus using contrast detection if you want to keep the image onscreen.
The latter feels more natural, but takes longer and is less accurate. The A330 is the only DSLR we've seen to offer phase-detection autofocus in Live View mode. The result is fast, accurate focusing that you don't have to sacrifice the benefits of Live View for. It's a major advantage over the autofocus systems of other Live View cameras.
The A330's 2.7in, 230,000-pixel screen has another advantage: it tilts away from the camera's body. It isn't as versatile as the hinged screens on the Nikon D5000 or Panasonic GH-1, but it's useful for those who use Live View.
In terms of image quality there was very little to choose between this and the Canon 1000D. Our feeling is that the Canon edges it, but by such a small margin that most people wouldn't notice unless they were poring over identical frames shot by each camera. The Canon resolved slightly more detail when its images were viewed at 100%.
One area in which the Sony didn't excel was in low light - our ISO 1600 shots were among the weakest here - and it's only the quality of its lower ISO modes that keep it from slipping down the table.
Of equal concern to low-light photographers will be that the A330, like the A230 (see page 70), lacks a focus-assist lamp.Handling is nearly identical to the A230.
Both cameras are a similar size and weight, and both have a peculiarly sharp angle to the grip on the right-hand side. Those with big hands will probably prefer one of the Canon or, even better, Nikon models on test.
The memory card options are the same, too: the A330 can accept both SD and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards via the twin slots in the side. Those with HDTVs may also appreciate the type C HDMI connector.
All the A330's shooting information is shown on the main display, but a pair of light sensors detect when your face is pressed against the viewfinder and it flicks off accordingly.
Neither Canon's nor Nikon's cheapest cameras match Sony in this feature. The A330 goes even further than this, though: you can link autofocus to the light sensor, so it tries to focus as soon as you bring the camera to bear.
Our only complaint is that the viewfinder itself feels a little stingy. It seems small and dark compared to that of the 1000D, and the Nikon D3000 enjoys a definite edge in this area, too. In the Sony's case it's mitigated slightly by the excellent Live View mode.
There are both pros and cons to the A330. Every time it tripped us up we were reminded of things the Canon 1000D does better and, currently, for less. But the A330 offers a best-in-class Live View mode, plus a slightly larger screen and better burst performance than the 1000D.
Our advice is to pick up both in a store and see which feels right - but for us, the A330 just nudges into this month's runner-up spot.