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Sony A350 Review

AlphaMountWorld brings you our Alpha A350 Camera production Digital SLR Review - In Depth with Image Sample Galleries

March, 2008 Carl Garrard

The Sony A350 is the entry level big brother of the three new DSLRS Sony has announced for 2008. It's packed with features like- Sony's proprietary Live View (the best design in any entry level DSLR to date), a 14.2 MP CCD imager, a 2.7" Multi angle/tilting LCD, Super Steady Shot image stabilization, CCD Dust Cleaning, Eye Start automatic auto-focus sensors and sells for body only at $799.00. This camera is punch number two in Sony's knock out attempt at entry level sales market share and may just be the biggest punch of the three. Let's see how this camera compares to the other recently announced Alphas!

Sony A350 Review - Introduction 1

Sony A350

A bargain high resolution Photo Machine?

Sony has done it once again. They shocked the photo industry with leading edge Live View implementation in a DSLR, and a class leading 14.2 megapixel imager. While the implementation of "live view" in itself in the new Alpha DSLR isn't innovative, the design and performance of the system is. From the ease of a dedicated live view switch, to the hi-speed refresh rate of the LCD (and internal processing), Live View on this camera is going to make some photographers re-think they way they take pictures, and will add new and creative ways in which to do it. The Sony A350 comes with other excellent and helpful features as well, Dynamic Range optimization, Eye Start Autofocus sensors, In-Body image stabilization, a new high speed focus motor, and much more.

Live View with a flick of a switch. Tiltable 2.7" LCD Screen. Quick Navigation user interface. Do these ingredients make for an easy to use DSLR or what? Sony's A350 is the 14.2 megapixel big brother of the 3 recently announced entry level DSLR Cameras this year. It promises big things with its feature set, and for its price seems quite a bargain overall for what you are getting. All 3 new Alphas share the same basic body, with the A300/350 adding a multi-angle LCD and two new buttons; a Live view switch and a Smart Teleconvertor button over the A200 (and some genius internal light reflection, and the addition of another CCD sensor and an AF sensor). All 3 cameras share the same basic user interface as well, and give you quite a choice overall for those shopping for an entry level DSLR. In my mind, all 3 cameras are really 2 different cameras total. The A300/350 are so close in overall design, its hard to really call them separate models, except that the price gap is $200 dollars (price drop in US is effective now, the A300 sells for $699.00 with a kit lens, and the A350 sells for $899.00 with a kit lens currently) and the A350 offers substantially more resolution with a small performance decrease in frames per second (and other trivial performance decreases). The A200 being a sort of morphed A100, but feels different in use than both it and the A300/350 overall.

While on paper and in appearance they all seem to be almost "triplets", in use, the A350 has a different "feel" than the A200. Coming from lots of experience with the venerable and highly popular Sony R-1, I have had plenty of use with live view and a tiltable LCD. The A350 reminds me of those days (not so long gone) yet adds a new element and feel to the photographic experience that feels more sophisticated than the R-1 in some ways, and leaves room for improvement in others. For example, interchangeable lenses, and a very decent optical viewfinder add to the more sophisticated feel, while the limited movement of the LCD leaves a bit to be desired (in comparison to the R-1).