Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 Review: Digital Photography Review

Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 Specifications

Price (body only) (With 18-70mm kit lens)	• $810 / £450 [check] • $900 / £480
Body material	Plastic exterior
Sensor *	• 23.5 x 15.7 mm CCD sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter • 14.9 million total pixels • 14.2 million effective pixels
Image sizes *	• 4592 x 3056 (L / RAW) • 3408 x 2272 (M) • 2288 x 1520 (S) • 4592 x 2576 (L) 16:9 • 3408 x 1920 (M) 16:9 • 2288 x 1280 (S) 16:9
File qualities / formats	• RAW (.ARW) • RAW + JPEG Fine • JPEG Fine • JPEG Standard
Dust reduction	• Static-resistant anti-dust coating • CCD-shift dust reduction mechanism
Lenses	• Sony Alpha lenses (also compatible with Minolta A-type bayonet mount lenses)
FOV crop	1.5x
Super Steady Shot	• CCD-Shift 'Super Steady Shot' system • Five level LED shake indicator in viewfinder • Claimed equivalent to 2.5 – 3.5 steps in shutter speed
Auto Focus *	• TTL CCD line sensors (9-points, with center cross sensor) • EV 0 to 18 (ISO 100) detection range • Predictive focus control for moving subjects
AF area selection	• Wide AF area • Spot AF area (center) • Focus area selection (any of 9)
Focus modes	• Single-shot AF • Continuous AF • Automatic AF • Manual focus
AF assist illuminator	• Yes (using built in flash) • Range approx 1m - 5m
Eye-start AF	Yes, selectable from menu
Shooting modes	• Auto • Programmed AE (with shift) • Aperture priority AE • Shutter priority AE • Manual • Flash off • Scene modes (below)
Scene modes	• Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Sports Action • Sunset • Night view/portrait
Sensitivity	• Auto (Range varies depending on shooting mode) • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1600 • ISO 3200*
Metering modes	• Multi-segment (40 segment Honeycomb pattern) • Center-weighted • Spot
Metering range	• EV 2 to 20 (Multi-segment / Center-weighted) * • EV 4 to 20 (Spot metering) * (at ISO 100 with F1.4 lens)
AE Lock	• AEL button (customizable, hold or single-press) • Half-press shutter release
AE Bracketing	• Single or continuous bracketing • 3 frames • 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps
Exposure compen.	• -2.0 to +2.0 EV • 0.3 EV steps
Shutter	Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane Shutter
Shutter Speed	• 30 to 1/4000 sec • Bulb
Flash X-sync	• 1/160 sec
Aperture values	Depends on lens, 0.3 EV steps
DOF preview	No
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Tungsten • Fluorescent • Flash • Color temperature/filter (2500 - 9900 K) • Manual (Custom)
White balance fine tuning	• Auto (none) • Preset WB: -3 to +3 • Fluorescent WB: -2 to +4 • Color temperature WB: G9 to M9 (Magenta to Green)
White balance bracketing	• 10 or 20 Mired steps
Dynamic range optimizer	• Off • Standard • Advanced
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Color modes	• Standard • Vivid • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • Night view • Sunset * • B&W • Adobe RGB
Image parameters	• Contrast (-3 to +3) • Sharpness (-3 to +3) (Available in all color modes) • Saturation (-3 to +3) (All modes except B&W)
Noise reduction *	• Long exposure for exposures longer than 1 second • High ISO NR at ISO 1600 or higher • User controllable: On / Off
Viewfinder	• Eye-level fixed optical glass pentamirror • Spherical Acute Matte focusing screen (interchangeable) • Magnification approx. 0.74x • 95% frame coverage • Dioptric adjustment (-3.0 to +1.0) • Eye-relief 21 mm from eyepiece, 17 mm from frame • Eyepiece cup removable • Viewfinder info bar
Live view *	• Dedicated live view sensor • 1200 zone evaluative metering • Sensitivity 2-17 EV • 90% frame coverage • Exposure and white balance simulation
LCD monitor *	• 2.7 TFT LCD • 230,400 pixels • Anti-reflective coating
Flash	• Built-in pop-up flash (manual release) • Metering: ADI, Pre-flash TTL, Manual flash control • Guide number 12 (ISO 100/m) • Angle of coverage 24 mm (35 mm equiv.) • Flash sync 1/160 sec
Flash modes	• Auto • Fill Flash • Rear Sync • Slow sync • Manual Flash • Red-eye Reduction (pre-flash) • Wireless/Remote Off-camera Flash • High Speed Sync.
Flash compensation	-2.0 to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
External flash (optional)	• Sony HVL-F56M (guide no. 56) • Sony HVL-F36M (guide no. 36) • Macro Twin Flash Kit HVL-MT24AM • Ring Light HVL-RLAM • Off camera flash shoe FA-CS1 AM
Drive modes	• Single-frame • Continuous • Self-timer (10 or 2 sec) • Continuous bracket • Single-frame bracket • White balance bracket
Continuous shooting	• Approx 2.5fps max (2.0 in Live view) • RAW: Up to 4 frames • RAW+JPEG: Up to 3 frames • JPEG (FINE): Unlimited (to card capacity)
Self-timer	• 10 sec • 2 sec
Orientation sensor	Yes, for shooting, playback and control panel display
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mass storage, Multi-LUN or PTP) • Video out (NTSC or PAL) • DC-IN • Remote terminal
Remote control *	• Wired: with optional RM-S1AM or RM-L1AM
Video out	• AV (Selectable NTSC or PAL) • 'PhotoTV' HD settings applied with BRAVIA.
Storage	• Compact Flash Type I/II • Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo (Via optional adapter) • Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32
Power *	• NP-FM500H Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (1650 mAh) • Battery charger included • Optional AC adapter • Batter life Approx 730 shots with viewfinder, 410 in Live view mode (CIPA standard)
Vertical grip *	• Vertical Grip VG-B30AM • One or Two NP-FM500H batteries with auto switchover for power (additional battery is optional).
Dimensions	131 x 99 x 74 mm (5.25 x 4 x 3 in)
Weight (body)	• No battery: 582 g (1.3 lb) • With battery: 676 g (1.5 lb)