Aperture Priority: User selects lens aperture, camera sets shutter speed.Program: Camera uses automatic exposure while retaining custom settings.Auto: Camera uses default settings to “easily shoot any subject under any conditions”.Every mode option on the camera is accessed via the mode dial, which includes the following shot capture settings: Like most consumer DSLRs, the A350 goes beyond P/A/S/M shooting modes with a small selection of scene presets as well. Packed with an 18-70mm kit lens (more on that a little later in this section), the A350 uses the Alpha lens mount that Sony inherited from Konica-Minolta, making the camera compatible with DSLR glass from either manufacturer. The A350 is one of the few DSLRs in the consumer space to hang onto CF memory instead of moving to a more compact format, and it’s a bit surprising that Sony didn’t incorporate a MemoryStick slot in place of or in addition to CF compatibility. The A350 uses a 40-area multi-segment metering system by default, and Sony’s D-Range Optimizer tools can be used to bring out contrast-elided details in high-contrast shots. In-body image stabilization, a reasonably powerful pop-up flash, eye-start AF and nine focus points, and a list of Creative Style preset JPEG processing options provide additional goodies for A350 shooters. How does this one feature transform a digital SLR? How is it different from the Live View features on other cameras? I took it to the streets of San Francisco to find out.The A350’s tilting Clear Photo LCD is relatively unique as well, making it easy to “shoot from the hip” (or over your head, for that matter) with the camera in live view mode. The display also tilts up and down, making it easier to shoot at previously awkward angles. Unlike other Live View displays that don’t auto focus, focus slowly or black out their displays, the A350′s innovative mirror system lets the LCD use the same high performance, phase-detection auto focus as the viewfinder.
You might even wonder, “Where’s the beef?” The answer is sitting right on the back of the camera: The tilting 2.7-inch Live View LCD and innovative Live view auto focus at long last gives the Sony Alpha series a defining identity. At first, the two don’t seem like major improvements over their predecessors, the A100 and A200. Two years later, Sony has answered that question with the 14.2-megapixel A350 and the 10.2-megapixel A300. The original Alpha A100′s sub-$1000 price tag, built-in image stabilization and novel features like Eye-Start Auto Focus gave it some definition, but who, exactly, was it for? Originally the love child of Sony and Minolta, the Alpha series began life as a confused child with a good pedigree, although Sony eventually got sole custody.
Sony’s better-established competitors had budget SLRs that lured professional hopefuls into upgrading, while Sony was just dipping its toes in the water.
When Sony launched the Alpha series with the budget A100 in 2006, it struggled to find an identity in a digital SLR market dominated by Nikon and Canon. Only 2 frames-per-second capture rate using Live View.Fn button and other controls need fine-tuning.Other user-friendly features include built-in image stabilization and dynamic range optimization (DRO), making the $800, 14.2-megapixel Sony Alpha A350 a powerful addition to the consumer digital SLR market.Ĭompare prices and shop for a Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 digital camera > The Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 gives a new identity to the fledgling Alpha line with an industry-leading, auto-focusing, tiltable Live View display.