Top Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 Camera Reviews

DPreview has a Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 review and said: "On paper and when shooting resolution charts, the A350 is an impressive performer but that prowess doesn't always hold up when you step outside the studio."

Cnet wrote a review on the Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 and said: "Rating photo quality tends to be difficult, but the A350 was particularly waffle-worthy. It renders good color and dynamic range."

Camera Summary:
The Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 is a 14.2 megapixel digital camera with Sony's new Quick Auto Focus Live View. It is designed to provide a similar experience to a point and shoot camera, but without compromising speed or performance. The DSLR-A350 also features a 2.7" LCD, image stabilization, and the Bionz processing engine. The DSLR-A350 camera body will be available in March for about $800, and the DSLR-A350 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 3.9x zoom lens will be available for about $900 at the same time.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 News Release Excerpt:
San Diego, Jan. 30, 2008 – Sony is bringing live-view shooting to its digital SLR camera line with the 14.2-megapixel α (alpha) DSLR-A350 model. The camera features new technologies that make picture taking faster, easier, and more familiar for first-time DSLR users.

Quick AF Live View System

It offers Sony’s new “Quick AF Live View” technology so you can frame photos on the camera’s LCD without sacrificing auto-focusing speed common to other live-view systems.

Sony’s innovative Pentamirror Tilt mechanism directs light to a dedicated live view image sensor, enabling fast and responsive TTL phase-detection auto-focusing, even during live view.

Eliminating the focus delay of other systems, the new models are equally responsive whether using live view or optical viewfinder.

With its two sensor design, Quick AF Live View can even continuously focus-track the subject and provide live view during burst shooting, helping you capture that special moment.

Taking further advantage of Quick AF Live View is the models’ variable angle 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD screen. This makes it easy to frame scenes from high or low positions difficult to reach when using an eye-level viewfinder.

With Live View and an adjustable LCD, the cameras do not need to be in front of the user’s face, allowing parents, for example, to maintain eye-contact when photographing their children.

“Mainstream users stepping up to DSLRs are looking for a similar experience to their point and shoot cameras, but without compromise in speed or performance” said Phil Lubell, director of marketing for digital cameras at Sony Electronics. “Quick AF Live View gives the new model a familiar shooting style without compromising speed – ideal for the growing market of first-time SLR users.”

Exceptional Image Quality

The new model produces images with fine detail, rich tonality and vibrant color due to their APS-C CCD image sensors and BIONZ processing engine. To aid shooting in low light, Super SteadyShot image stabilization enables shutter speeds 2.5 to 3.5 steps slower than otherwise possible, with every compatible Minolta Maxxum and Sony α (alpha) lens (sold separately) attached to the camera.

High sensitivity operation at ISO 1600 and 3200 and very low noise are made possible by the user-selectable high-ISO noise reduction features. Sony’s D-Range Optimizer delivers suitable tonality and exposures with rich shadow and highlight detail, even under high contrast situations.

Powerful Performance, Easy to Use

The DSLR-A350 model can shoot about two-and-a-half continuous frames per second when using the optical viewfinder. It is powered by the Bionz processing engine and supplied InfoLITHIUMTM battery for fast start-up times, quick response and long battery life – up to 730 shots per full charge when using the optical viewfinder and up to 410 shots per full charge in live-view mode.

It features a lighter, slimmer body for easy handling; an improved user interface; an automatic pop-up flash; a comfortable camera grip with an easily accessible mode dial; an anti-dust system to keep the CCD image sensor clean for spot-free pictures; and JPEG and RAW file format support. It has a slot for CompactFlash Type I/II media cards.

An adaptor for Memory Stick Duo media cards is also available for the cameras and sold separately.

The new DSLR-A350 camera is compatible with a range of accessories, including the ergonomic Sony VG-B30AM vertical grip. Also available as an option is the new Sony HVL-F42AM flash unit. It offers advanced features such as automatic white balance adjustment with color temperature information, adjustable bounce angles, ADI metering and wireless remote operation to suit the needs of most photographers.

Price and Availability

The DSLR-A350 camera body will be available in March for about $800, and the DSLR-A350 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 3.9x zoom lens will be available for about $900 at the same time.