Like all Alpha DSLRs, the main sensor is mounted on an adjustable platform which shifts to counteract camera-shake. The A350’s screen may not twist sideways nor flip to face the subject, but it’s still a very flexible feature. Making Live View all the more useful is a flip-out screen which can be tilted vertically to allow comfortable shooting at high or low angles. The benefit is not having to bypass the conventional AF system during Live View, thereby allowing the A350 to autofocus as quickly as it would do normally, and without interruption or noise. Sony’s broken from traditional Live View systems by fitting this extra sensor, along with a tilting mechanism in the viewfinder which directs the light to either it or through the traditional eyepiece. Interestingly, it’s not the main sensor which provides the Live View facilities, but a secondary sensor built-into the viewfinder. It’s available body alone, or in a kit with the Sony DT 18-70mm lens. The Alpha DSLR-A350 features a 14.2 Megapixel CCD sensor, Live View, a vertically-tilting monitor, and like all Alpha DSLRs, sports built-in sensor-shift anti shake facilities which work with any lens you attach. In this preview we’ll be looking at the most powerful model of the threesome, the Alpha A350. So the A300 and A350 are identical other than the resolution of their sensors and a small difference in the continuous shooting rates: the A300 is a 10.2 Megapixel model, shooting at 3fps, while the A350 is a 14.2 Megapixel model, shooting at 2.5fps. Finally, the A350 takes the A300 and simply swaps its 10.2 Megapixel sensor for one with 14.2 Megapixels. The A300 keeps the same sensor, but adds Live View and a tilting screen. The A200 is the base model with a 10.2 Megapixel sensor and a fixed screen. They all share essentially the same body, controls, features and accessories, but the higher-end models add something new to the mix.
The A200, A300 and A350 have a lot in common. Since the original A100 was replaced by the A200 in early January, Sony now has four models in the Alpha range: the entry-level A200, the semi-pro A700, and positioned in-between, the new A300 and A350 models. The Alpha DSLR-A300 and Alpha DSLR-A350 are Sony’s fourth and fifth DSLRs, launched together at the annual PMA show in late January 2008.