Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 Review

Friends are always asking me for digital camera recommendations, expecting me to suggest a digital SLR. I almost always end up recommending point-and-shoots. People like the idea of a digital SLR with its implied quality and control. But most of the time, the complexity of a DSLR and the post-processing required are the opposite of what they need and a less expensive compact digital camera is the better choice.

Luckily, the Sony Alpha A350 is a different kind of digital SLR. It lets you act like a professional or kick back and use it like a point-and-shoot. If you’ve used nothing but point-and-shoot cameras, the A350 will be a comfortable upgrade. The Live View mode will let you take photos in a familiar way and features like Smart Tele-converter and D-Range Optimizer mean that you won’t be a slave to Photoshop just because you own a digital SLR. Sure, it’s still an SLR and you should probably only buy it if you’re willing to also purchase a couple of lenses over time. But with built-in features like Super SteadyShot image stabilization, you don’t have to buy more expensive image-stabilized lenses like you would with a Nikon or Canon. The reduced detail in higher ISO images may be a deal breaker for some, but I think most will enjoy the picture quality. If you’re stepping up from a point-and-shoot digital camera, the image quality is still going to be a noticeable improvement.

As a professional photographer, I thought I might turn my nose up at a digital SLR that acts like a point-and-shoot. But the Sony A350 is a fun camera. It has all the manual controls I’m used to, but lets me experiment with different angles and gives me features like image stabilization without having to carry around $2,500 worth of heavy gear. It’s not a camera I can recommend to aspiring professionals, though. For more serious performance, better look to the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. Or better yet, the just announced Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 - a 25-megapixel, 5 FPS camera that substantially raises the performance ceiling of the Alpha lineup. Interestingly enough, it is missing the killer Live View functionality of the A350, but it’s clear that Sony is now paving an upgrade path from entry-level camera to the more rugged, feature-rich and high-performance body that you’d need as a pro shooter.

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