Sony Alpha DSLRA350 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization (Body Only)

Comment

I used 35 mm years ago and then stopped taking pics. Started up because of some of the digital point and shoot cameras. When I decided to get back into SLRs, I did a lot of research. I have never been into snob appeal so I looked into features, picture quality and value as significant factors. Sony, who took over the older Minolta line, certainly had the right idea when they put together the 350. It is pretty easy to use right out of the box. I would consider a field guide if you are not camera savy, so you know how to get the most out of it. I recently used it on a trip to England and took about 800 pictures in 10 days. It worked great. I do not use the kit lens, but found some others that make this camera pretty flexible (but thats another review.) So far, there is nothing that I have wanted to do that this camera cant. The majority of great pictures come from the photographers eye, scene and light. IMHO, this camera will not hold you back if you have those.

Show more

Comment

It has been about 10 years since I put away my old olympus SLR camera away to gather dust for a few nifty small digital point and shoots. I bought this Sony about a month ago and have taken almost 2,000 pics. Took me a while to brush up on my technique and understand the new dslr lingo, but for anyone who has ever used a traditional SLR, I think youll be most pleased. SUPER clear/hi res pictures, exceptionally quick focusing, even in live view mode, and easy to access options. Chances are, the things you are looking for the most are just a button, dial or quick click away. The ISO button is super handy, and with the touch of a button, you can change the setting up to 3200 to suit your needs. I skipped the kit lens option and decided to buy the SAL18250 (18 mm - 250 mm. Stick with the Sony lens folks. It is solid responsive, and a great overall wide angle/telephoto lens. Why schlep around 2 kit lens when you can virtually have it all in one? (: OK back to the camera. OK now, some cons: The camera is a bit on the heavy side (But then again Im really used to a point and shoot). This camera also lacks the ability to do a super magnified manual focus on the LCD during live view. This is not a real big deal to me for my needs. Auto focus works great, and manual focus works fine for me those rare times I use it. I love the tiltable 2.7 in live view screen. Got some incredible shots at ground level looking up (From a dogs eye view) I should say an ants eye view! That with the wide angle... wowza.. seriously creative shots without breaking your back or twisting your neck! Ive been able to hand hold existing light shots down to 1/20 of a second, thanks to the anti shake feature. Pretty cool. I would have never thought I could take such a slow hand held pic without it being all blurred. I highly recommend purchasing an 8 gig CF card for this camera to maximize your data storage. You should get about 1,700 fine res .jpg pics per disk. Go for the faster speed CF card like the SanDisk Extreme III. Theyre cheap now, under a hundred bucks. I also recommend getting a UV filter and circular polarizer. Again, stick with Sony filters. Now that you have such a great camera, youll want the really nice quality filters. Youll have fun with this camera and your friends will drool over your pictures!!!

Show more

Comment

I am a semiprofessional photographer who, as a former Minolta user, has been trying to patiently wait on Sony to come out with a suitable pro model so as to continue to use lenses and accessories dedicated to my system. A year ago I bought this camera along with Sonys 18-250mm zoom lens, used it for some work, including a wedding. My first impression of the camera, upon immediately opening the box was a bit negative; it is small and has a very plastic feel. But after using the camera only a few minutes I was impressed with the responsiveness of the auto focus and very impressed with the 14MP detail. (I had been using a 6MP Konica-Minolta Maxxum 7D) The a350 made some great pictures. With that said I decided to have this camera body converted to use as an infrared camera (paying a lab to remove the infrared sensor) and have been using it for infrared photography for a year now, with good results. Since then I have been waiting for Sony to come out with a true pro model, which it has: the Sony a700 and a900. But in the time I have had using the a350, I have come to really enjoy two features which the higher end Sony models still do not offer: live view, and a tilting sensor. These are really great features and I will wait until Sony has a pro model with these. With that said I have recently made a purchase of a second a350 body, taking advantage of some great closeout deals as the a380 is destined to replace this camera. Most of my work is landscapes and environmental portraiture. I hike with my cameras, I go on float trips with my cameras, I wade in streams with my cameras, I expose my cameras to a lot of risk. The idea of dunking a $3000 camera is nauseating. I can now have two small camera bodies to hike with and have a relatively small chance of such a disaster. This camera can produce great results with good exposures and technic. Professional reviews of the a350 camera tend to be negative regarding its performance in low light and high ISOs. How I would respond is that you just cant put 14MP on an APS size sensor and have great performance in low light, regardless of the camera brand. With that said, 99 percent of the people interested in this camera would likely never notice this low light performance issue. A camera is a tool, the camera body is only a component. The skill of the photographer is still much more important than miscellaneous technical details that tech people like to argue about. I would strongly recommend this as and entry level or backup professional camera.

Show more

Comment

I use this almost on a daily basis for in studio work and photo trips. With a good lens it is a sensational value. Sony cameras are the Photographers dream tool. I regularly use 3 of them almost daily. The SLT-A65 and SLT-A77 are the ultimate camera for any Photographer. I love all three of my Sonys, especially my A350 work horse. Simple but powerful under any condition.

Show more

Comment

Own three of these. They are flawless.

Show more

Comment

I am very pleased with the Sony A-350 DSLR Camera that I purchased on Amazon.com The camera arrived just two days after purchased. I am a photography student and this is my second Sony DSLR. My first was the Sony A-100, also an excellent camera. The photos that I have taken with the A-350 are outstanding. I have produced a series of butterfly photos, taken in my flower garden that are selling as fast as I can print and frame them. The excellent color and detail that is produced by the Sony A-350 is amazing. I reccomend this camera to anyone who is a serious photographer. I reccomend also that you purchase it at Amazon.com, because they make sure that you get what you are promised and that you get it delivered quickly. Byron W. Childress WaveWalker Photography

Show more

Comment

Unless you are a professional photographer or solely bent on sports photography you will love this camera. The options are easy to use and operation is completely intuitive. I also purchased a Hoya polarizing filter and Sigma 18-200 lens to make some of the best photos Ive ever taken. The extra megapixels will allow you crop and zoom your photos to perfection. The high ISO has allowed for low light pictures that I couldnt think about with previous cameras. Steady shot feature has allowed for great shots even with strong wind blowing. All this being said common sense still applies ie use of tripod and chosing subject matter in relation to sun.

Show more

Comment

I love this camera and all of its many features. Dont buy the kit lens. It is not worth the extra money. I put a C. Zeiss 24-70mm lens on it and it is wonderful.

Show more

Comment

I bought the alpha 350 to replace my Minolta 5D, and have been very happy with the features. The LCD live view is particularly helpful in capturing candid shots, but the image lags behind the position of the actual subject, sometimes causing you to miss the photo you want. Ive found it most useful to frame the subject on the screen, but look at the subject live while depressing the shutter release.

Show more

Comment

Excellent camera and price. Purchase couldnt have been easier. The quality of the pictures has blown me away! Cant wait to learn all of the features available but was up and shooting as soon as it was out of the box. Very easy to use.

Show more