Digital Trends

Jaded is my middle name—especially when it comes to new digital cameras. I mean how juiced can you get about another point-and-shoot just because the megapixel count increased? That said, manufacturers still have some great tricks up their sleeves that’ll get a rise out of even the most jaded reviewer. The new Sony DSLR-A350 is one of them. I’ve watched for months as Sony tantalized the press with promises of a Live View for D-SLRs that actually works like the “live view” of point-and-shoot digicams where you pick the camera up, frame your shot through the LCD screen and snap the shutter. As DT readers well know, I feel Live View as implemented by other makers (Canon, Nikon, Olympus et al) is a joke. To work properly, the camera has to be held steady by a tripod and the subject must remain still. How many people shoot like this in 2008—beyond eBay Power Sellers? Six, 16, 60? Sony felt the same way and decided to create a Live View for the rest of the world. Not only that, the new DSLR-A350 has a 14.2-megapixel imager, built-in sensor shift stabilization and loads of other goodies such as an articulating 2.7-inch screen. When this one arrived, the battery was quickly put in the charger so a test drive was just a few short hours away. How was this relatively bargain-priced $799 USD D-SLR?