The bundled software disk contains Picture Motion Browser Ver. 2.1.02 for Windows, Image Data Lightbox SR Ver. 1.0 for Windows and Macintosh and Image Data Converter SR Ver. 2.0 for Windows and Macintosh. Picture Motion Browser is a general-purpose downloading and image organiser application with basic editing facilities and support for printing images and burning them to optical disk.

The application initially requires you to 'register' folders of images. It will then display thumbnails in calendar form and you can select months and days by clicking on thumbnails. It will even show the time of day in which shots were taken.

Editing facilities include an automatic correction (which covers brightness and colour balance), brightness, saturation sharpness and tone curve adjustments and red-eye correction. You can also run slideshows of shots in selected folders.

Image Data Converter SR is a better-than-average raw file converter that supports a wide range of adjustments. It also lets you change the Creative Style settings, adjust the DRO parameters and apply colour and edge noise-reduction processing before converting raw files to TIFF or JPEG format. TIFF files can be saved in 8- or 16-bit format. You can also apply several special effects, including B&W and sepia conversion, solarisation and negative conversion.

Image Data Lightbox SR allow users to display and compare raw and JPEG images recorded with the camera and rate them on a scale of one to five. It also provides a seamless interface with Image Data Converter SR for...

Sony's start into the world of Digital SLRs was quite a slow paced one. The first Sony branded model, the A100, appeared on the scene in June 2006 and it took over a year for it to be joined by a companion, the A700 prosumer model which was launched in September 2007. More recently though Sony has stepped up a gear and launched not one, but three cameras to replace the A100 - the DSLR A200, A300 and A350.

There is now something for everybody in the Sony line-up. The A350 for the feature-loving photographer on a budget, the A200 for those whose number one buying criterion is value-for-money and the A300 for bargain hunters who want a balance of the two. The A200 is, in terms of specification, not a million miles away from the veteran A100. It's got a larger screen, comes with an ISO3200 mode and user controlled High ISO noise reduction but in turn lacks the A100's depth of field preview (it's unsurprisingly much cheaper though).

Sony is not the only manufacturer which is diversifying its offerings in the entry-level sector and the A200 will have to face fierce competition in the bottom bracket of the market. Let's see how it shapes up on the following pages.


Lars Rehm


more : dpreview

Sony has flooded the entry-level dSLR market this year (2008) with three offerings in this category, the A200, A300, and A350. These models share very similar specifications, with resolution, Live View, and the LCDs being the main differences between them. The 14.2-megapixel Alpha 350 or DSLR-A350 is what I consider the "top model" from Sony in this field. Like the A200 we reviewed earlier in the year, the A350 offers an APS-C sized imaging sensor with Anti-dust system, Alpha/Minolta A-type bayonet lens mount, Super SteadyShot image stabilization system, D-Range Optimizer, 9-point AF system with Eye-start option, 40-segment metering, etc. Sony has improved this model with more resolution, Live View function and a large variable angle 2.7-inch ClearPhoto LCD screen. However, the burst or continuous capture rate has dropped to 2.5fps compared to the 3fps of its sibling.

Like all of the Alpha models, I was pleased with the ergonomics of this camera. The A350's body design is almost identical to the A200. The differences include the variable angle LCD, Live View/OVF (Optical ViewFinder) switch on the top, and the "Smart Teleconverter" button on the back. I found this button to be pretty much useless. It can only be used in Live View mode, and by lowering the image size, it acts like a digital teleconverter (1.4 or 2x). This function reminds me of the digital zoom feature you find on many consumer digicams. We feel that this button could have served a much better purpose, and hope that...

Sony is expanding its a (alpha) system of accessories to include the new HVL-F58AM flash unit with exceptional features for versatile and flexible external lighting control.

Quick Shift Bounce and Expanded Versatility

This new flash features a new and innovative Quick Shift Bounce system. It offers more creative ways to achieve lighting, flash and bounce angles you may not have been able to experience before.

The flash head can pivot 90 degrees left and right on a horizontal axis in addition to the conventional up and down vertical adjustment. With this system, the camera and flash unit can keep the same orientation regardless of portrait or landscape shooting. This gives a higher degree of flexibility when arranging the direction of light.

For example, you can take full advantage of the flash unit's built-in bounce card even during portrait shots since the flash head can maintain the same orientation as it would in the landscape position.

Enhanced Operability and Ease-of-Use

A powerful performer, the HVL-F58AM flash unit features a maximum guide number of 58 at 105mm and ISO 100. It recycles (or recharges) in as little as five seconds, approximately 55% faster than the predecessor HVL-F56AM model, so you are ready to capture the next shot. And because it features a quiet recycle charge, there's no whine to distract you from your subject.

It also has a large, easy-to-read LCD screen that is about 13% larger than its predecessor's. Its intuitive control...

The Sony A350 is identical in many ways to the entry-level A200 in terms of its design, so a lot of the comments that we made in our review of that camera will be repeated here. The Sony A350 is slightly smaller and lighter than Sony's first DSLR, the A100, but it's still quite a big camera when compared to its main rivals, the Canon EOS 450D and Nikon D60. On its own the Sony A350 body weighs just under 600g and measures 130.8 x 98.5 x 74.7 mm, rather dwarfing the standard 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens, which feels a little lightweight and out-of-place in this company. Build quality is very good, with a chunky plastic body that is well-suited to two-handed operation, unlike some of the more diminutive DSLRs that we've seen recently. The A350's design is dominated by the very deep, chunky rubberised handgrip, and the large, tilting 2.7 inch LCD screen on the rear. There is a pronounced curve/indentation to the back of the body, allowing a comfortable resting position for the thumb when gripping the camera, while the indentations on the rubberized front of the grip – which houses both card (at the side) and chunky info lithium NP-FM55H battery (at the base) – means that it won't easily slip from your grasp in the heat of the action.

The Sony A350 is quite complex in terms of the number of external controls that it has, with over 20 in total. The majority...

CONCLUSIONS

The A200 is the second iteration of Sony's entry-level DSLR, and I don't know how good the first one was, but this one isn't bad at all. There are some nice features present for an entry-level camera – notably dust reduction, in-camera stabilization, and the ability to use Sony and Minolta lenses. The A200 should be even more attractive since Sony recently dropped its MSRP with the 18-70 kit lens to $500 USD.

Image and color quality are good and there's a host of inputs available to customize image parameters if the default shots don't suit your fancy. The shutter is "DSLR quick" and auto focus performance is good in normal to marginal light, and acceptable in dim light. The camera posed a few annoying ergonomic quirks for my medium-sized hands, but overall it's well thought out and designed from a handling standpoint. The plastic of the 18-70 kit lens imparts a certain air of doubt as to its ability to withstand an impact, but operationally the lens performed flawlessly.

If you're looking to move into a DSLR and aren't wedded to any particular brand, there's a lot to like in the simplest Sony.

J. Keenan

more : digitalcamerareview

Sony's campaign to cut itself a bigger share of the lucrative digital SLR market continues to gather pace. We reviewed the flagship Alpha A700, a 12-megapixel professional model in November of last year, and in February we took a look at the Alpha A200, the 10-megapixel entry-level model currently priced at £300 with an 18-70mm lens. There were two more models launched in March of this year, the Jessops-exclusive Alpha A300, currently £399.99 including an 18-70mm lens, and today's review camera, the Alpha A350.

With a sensor resolution of 14.2-megapixels, the A350 occupies a relatively new band in the digital SLR market, along with the 14.6-megapixel, £800 Pentax K20D. Neither market leaders Canon nor second-placed Nikon has anything that directly competes in this band, which must be helping with Sony's stated intent to overtake Nikon and put a serious dent in Canon's seemingly unassailable lead. The A350 is currently priced at a very competitive £449.99 body-only, £499.99 with an 18-70mm zoom lens, or £649.99 as a two-lens kit with the addition of a 55-200mm zoom. Nikon's closest competitor is the D80, currently £499 body only or £639.99 with an 18-70mm lens, but the D80 is only 10 megapixels. Olympus offers the E-520 for £499.99 body-only or £549.99 with a Four-Thirds system 14-42mm lens, but again it is only 10 megapixels. Canon has a slightly closer match in the shape of the popular 12.2-megapixel EOS 450D (review coming soon) at £459.99 body only or £499.99 with an 18-55mm lens....

Both the greatest compliment and greatest criticism you can level at the Alpha 350 is that it's probably the most compact-camera-like DSLR we've ever reviewed. The secondary-sensor live view system is interesting: most modern DSLR designs are saddled with their film legacy and the A350 makes the strongest bid to step out of that shadow.

The provision of an exterior switch makes it clear that live view is a technique for using this camera, rather than simply an option, or mode that you might consider using. This subtle philosophical change is borne out in the rest of the camera's design: the A350 behaves in a much more coherent manner when it's in live view mode, rather than being held up to the eye - every button press brings up a new menu screen and draws your attention back to LCD.

This will make many compact camera users feel at home while the small, inaccessible viewfinder will alienate those familiar with using DSLRs. And to an extent, it'll be their loss: the ability to seamlessly shoot overhead or down at waist level gives a degree of freedom that no other DSLR is able to offer. And, at low sensitivity settings, you do get a camera that offers the easy composition simplicity of a compact camera with the focussing speed, shutter-button responsiveness and image quality of a DSLR.

Unfortunately, the A350 is a slow camera by modern standards. The continuous shooting speed is some way behind the models...