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Today is the first day of PMA 2008 and I have to say that I have never seen before so many DSLR launches in a single show by so many manufacturers. Sony has been up to now silent but the wait was worth it as it is releasing two new DSLR models in its Alpha range, the A300 and the A350. They both squeeze between the entry A200 and higher end A700. Features are nothing but rich:

• A350 resolution is an impressive 14.2 megapixels, in direct competition with Pentax’s new K20D. The A300 has the usual entry DSLR 10 megapixels.
• Live view which means that pictures can be taken by just looking at the 2.7 inch screen. In fact, to leave free room for the live mechanism, the viewfinder is smaller than that of the A200 as this was deemed a necessary sacrifice for this very useful feature.
• Great -I will say it again great!- tilt 2.7 inch monitor that can be positioned at “difficult” positions to take advantage of the live view feature when unusual camera positions do not allow viewfinder use.
• High sensitivity up to ISO 3200. Although every manufacturer states that files incorporate little noise even in high ISO, it has to be seen how well the new models fare against formidable competition in that respect.
• Continuous shooting rate of 3 frames/sec for the A300 and 2.5 frames/sec for the A350 -the larger file sizes are taking their toll here.
• 9-point focus.
• Body-integrated image stabilisation.
• RAW and JPEG file saving options.
• Built-in flash.
• USB2 connectivity.
• Compactflash storage, thank you Sony for avoiding SD cards!

Accessories like vertical grip and Memory-Stick-to-Compactflash adaptors are available. From the above it is clear that Sony draws heavily from its experience in compact cameras that have features that DSLR users would like to have. You can read about this trend here. Additionally, the fact that Sony manufacturers its own sensors -we should not forget that it supplies big names like Nikon- provides the freedom to be vertically integrated in its new model approach and come up with competitive products. In its effort to come up with value for money, Sony’s models are indeed complete solutions that need non-stabilised lens, do you hear Canon and Nikon?

Pricing looks very attractive:

• $800 for the A300 including the DT 18-70 mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens.
• $800 for the A350 body-only.
• $900 for the A350 including the DT 18-70 mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens

So what does all this tell us? In a few words, that Sony’s ambition is to be king in the throne of Canon and Nikon. Since it bought Minolta’s camera division, it is working in a systematic fashion to build a full worthwhile DSLR range to cater for every photographer’s needs, from the casual user to the professional. For the later, Sony’s full frame announcement is nothing but impressive and means that a full blown full frame model is soon to see the light.

Link: dpreview