Sony Alpha DSLR-A350
A close relative of the A200 and A300, Sony’s top-of-the-budget range boasts 14 megapixels, an anti-dust system to protect the sensor, excellent battery staying power, and all the highlights of the A300: responsive Live View, image stabilization, and fast startup times.
Users may be disappointed that the A350 is less responsive than many rivals, its burst mode is on the slow side, and its optical viewfinder is smaller than similar cameras. With these tradeoffs in mind, this camera is probably a superb upgrade for compact point-and-shoot photographers, but an unlikely choice for demanding amateurs or pros.
If you need the resolution bump at a low price, the Rebel XSi is probably a better choice than the Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. (…) Canon offers better comparable kit lenses and a better selection of budget lenses, as well as better photo quality and performance
In general use the A350 handles very well, and apart from its disappointing continuous shooting speed, it’s a highly enjoyable camera in practice. You find yourself regularly switching between the optical viewfinder and Live View with a quick and simple switch, and exploiting the tilting screen for unusual angles.
…the most compact-camera-like DSLR…
…great value for such a well balanced camera.
Handy, innovative features…
While the A300 is essentially an A200 with an articulating LCD screen and Live View mode, the A350 also raises the resolution from 10 megapixels to 14.2 megapixels.
I’ve watched for months as Sony tantalized the press with promises of a Live View for D-SLRs that actually works like the “live view” of point-and-shoot digicams where you pick the camera up, frame your shot through the LCD screen and snap the shutter.
The A350 shares a lot in common with the base A200 model, with the principal differences being the addition of Live View, a tilting LCD screen, and a new 14 megapixel sensor.
This makes the camera body slightly thicker and heavier than the A200 - although it’s still significantly smaller and lighter than the DSLR-A700.
A350 not only has live view, it also has a two-way tilting 2.7-inch 230k monitor and, more importantly, a fast nine-point TTL phase-detection autofocus system available in live view mode. Competitor DSLRs that offer live view have either simpler and slower contrast-detection AF systems when in live view mode