Sony Alpha A350

[bruno_tmedeiros]

Anyone has this dSLR?
Pros and Cons?

I've been looking for reviews, but almost none points the Cons on this one.

[LeeR]

When Sony decided they wantedto get into the DSLR market they bought their way in by purchasing Minolta. Minolta had a solid reputation as a reliable camera at a good price and bringing Sony's panache for great electronics could only add to the mix. So far, the reviews have been positive and there are a whole lot of people out there who swear by them. However, it is still a long way from being a professional grade camera. For instance, the A350 only allows you to adjust the exposure value to 2 stops, plus or minus; not enough for a pro. There are also reports of high noise at ISOs of 800 and above and other problems in low lighting situations. (Check out the full review here.)
Bigger still is the problem that Sony, while huge, does not have the experience of a Nikon or Canon. Both of these giants have incredible experience in optics and imaging. Did you know that Intel has chosen Nikon equipment to produce their integrated circuits. Turns out Nikon is number one in the world in the field of microlithography. Wanna guess who is number two? Do you think Sony may be using Nikon equipment to make their electronics? The big two are the big two for a good reson; they are very, very good at what they do.
In short, it is a great early effort by Sony and should be a great choice for a serious amateur, but not quite ready for prime time pros. I think Sony has built themselves a place of honor in the DSLR market, but I doubt they will ever supplant one of the big two.

[bono]

I owned an Alpha 350 but I had to give it away because of a sensor defect that was covered by the guarantee.

It is a good DSLR, it features the best Liveview system and an image stabilizer which works with all lenses. This makes the use of old Minolta-AF-lense attractive.

The ISO-Levels over 800 are not as good as the Canon/Nikon cameras and you don't get mirror lock-up. But it has an AF motor in the body which the cheap Nikons have not. Note that up to now no Sony Alpha features movie recording, although the newer models that will arrive shortly should have this feature.

If you want to go with the Sony system I would suggest to buy an Alpha 500 or 550 or the newer cameras in the 500-line which have a much better ISO performance even at high levels.

[Keith]

You can find excellent Minolta A mount lenses on the secondhand market. I had all Minolta gear and went to the Sony A350 when I went digital so I could continue using the A mount lenses I already have