Sony's confusion of dSLRs
Sony Alpha DSLR-A350
(Credit: Sony Electronics)2/1/2008: Thanks to lack of sleep and rusty HTML skills, the previous table entries for the A700 were incorrect. Sorry for my own addition to the confusion. Fixed now. Lori.
I suppose it was inevitable. With its latest camera announcements, Sony brings its scorched-earth camera marketing philosophy--blanketing each price segment with multiple choices in hopes that one combination of design and features hits pay dirt--to consumer digital SLRs. Today's announcement of the Alpha DSLR-A300 and A350 brings Sony's total number of dSLRs in the $700 to $900 range to three. The models, despite some really nice feature sets, have just enough significant trade-offs to engender frustration rather than delight at the variety.
First, here's an overview of the new consumer lineup:
| Alpha DSLR-A200 | Alpha DSLR-A300 | Alpha DSLR-A350 | Alpha DSLR-A700 | |
| Sensor | 10.2-megapixel CCD 23.6 x 15.8 mm |
10.2-megapixel CCD 23.6 x 15.8 mm |
14.2-megapixel CCD 23.6 x 15.8 mm |
12.2-megapixel CCD 23.6 x 15.8 mm |
| Continuous shooting | 3fps unlimited JPEG/6 raw |
3fps unlimited JPEG/6 raw |
2 fps unlimited JPEG/4 raw |
5fps unlimited JPEG/17 raw |
| Viewfinder | 0.83X magnification fixed matte focusing screen |
95% coverage 0.74X magnification fixed matte focusing screen |
95% coverage 0.74X magnification fixed matte focusing screen |
95% coverage 0.9X magnification interchangeable matte focusing screen |
| Autofocus | 9-pt AF one cross-type sensor in center |
9-pt AF one cross-type sensor in center |
9-pt AF one cross-type sensor in center |
11-pt AF two cross-type sensors in center (one f/2.8) |
| Live View | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| LCD size | 2.7 inches/fixed | 2.7 inches/tiltable | 2.7 inches/tiltable | 3 inches/fixed |
| Price | $699 (w/ 18-70mm lens) | $799 (w/ 18-70mm lens) | $799 (body only); $899 (w/ 18-70mm lens) | $1,399 (body only) |
| Availability | End of February | End of April | Mid March | Now |
Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 with optional battery grip
(Credit: Sony Electronics)All the models have Super SteadyShot sensor-shift image stabilization and support sensitivities that range from ISO 100-3200, as well as the typical array of firmware-based features, such as Advanced Dynamic Range Optimization. With the A300 and A350, Sony also introduces Live View shooting mode to its dSLRs. Sony's 2-sensor implementation harks back to the more seamless approach pioneered--and subsequently discarded--by Olympus. With a secondary sensor dedicated to receiving a preview image off the imaging sensor, there's no need to flip the mirror up for preview and focus, then flip it back down to shoot, proving a more typical snapshot-like experience when framing via the LCD. In addition, Sony incorporates a flip-up LCD, which makes the feature not just practical, but actually useful (predominantly for overhead and from-the-hip shooting). We would prefer a flip-and-twist display, like that found on the Olympus E-3, but hey--you can't have everything.
Sony Alpha DSLR-A300
(Credit: Sony Electronics)So the extra $100 you pay to go from the A200 to A300 gets you Live View. Or Live View, plus higher resolution but minus a lens, 1 frame-per-second continuous shooting speed, and a significantly lower-magnification viewfinder (A200 to A350). Between the A300 and the A350, which have the same tiny viewfinder and Live View, for the same $799 you have to decide whether you want the lens kit, or higher resolution and slower speed. You could opt for the Canon EOS Rebel XSi, which competes directly against the A350 at that $799 body-only price, but which delivers a better combination of resolution and performance for the money.
Also debuting at PMA, Sony introduces a pair of lenses: a pricey-but-probably-yummy Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA ($1,749) and a basic telephoto zoom 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 G SSM ($799). Both will be available this spring.
On Sale Now: $769.95
View the latest prices for Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 (body only)
On Sale Now: $999.00
View the latest prices for Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 (with 18-70mm lens)
Senior Editor Lori Grunin has been covering digital imaging for two decades, but her memory's kind of sketchy on the details. You can hear about it every week on Indecent Exposure, the podcast she co-hosts with Matt Fitzgerald. 
Additionally it has a 12.24 MP CMOS sensor (NOT 10mp CCD), and 5 fps, not 3.
I hope they check their facts...that's kinda misleading.
I'd say the worse thing about the A300 and 350 is the small viewfinders- it will really impair people's ability to compose well, with the live view is no substitute on those low-res screens.
'Sony' as a brand is just like 'GE' or 'LG'...a producer of mass goods. Sony treats dSLRs just like it does with EVERYTHING ELSE it makes; offering up a confusing array of similarly-spec'd models that seem to differ just enough that it's impossible to decipher which is better in quality and in value.
it does not darken the viewfinder, unlike the Olympus E-300, and there is no
mirror flipping. Magnification, however, is down quite a bit. Hopefully Sony will
have worked on their noise reduction techniques since the A700, because the
Nikon D300 with the same Sony sensor has way better high ISO performance.
Yes, Sony may be a large consumer electronics retailer but they have a rich history in digital imaging by themselves as well. They were there from the beginning with digital cameras and are always up-to-the-minute with new imaging technologies. They have been making CCD sensors for companies people know better, such as Nikon and Pentax, for years. It's important that people look at the camera for what it is- a tool for taking pictures- rather than focusing on brand name importance.
- No Confusion, Just Quality + Body SSS
- by Sonolta February 3, 2008 9:13 AM PST
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