Sony Alpha 350

The Sony Alpha 350 is a DSLR that Sony introduced in 2008. It uses an APS-C CCD sensor with the Sony Alpha DT lens mount and Bionz image processing. The body measures 131 x 99 x 75 mm and weighs 674 g.

Shooting is handled through an optical pentamirror viewfinder, with a tilting 2.7-inch LCD offering live view as an alternative. Autofocus uses nine points, continuous shooting reaches a maximum of 3 fps, and stabilisation is built into the body. There is no video recording mode.

The Alpha 350's imaging core is a 14.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor paired with a Bionz processor. Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to ISO 3200, and the shutter offers a top speed of 1/4000 second.

Autofocus uses nine points, and framing is handled through an optical pentamirror viewfinder or through live view on the tilting 2.7-inch LCD. The Sony Alpha DT mount accepts Sony's DT lenses.

Continuous shooting reaches a maximum of 3 fps, the fastest rate the camera offers rather than a sustained-speed promise. Because the Alpha 350 records stills only, bursts are its sole continuous capture option.

Stabilisation is built into the body rather than the lens, so mounted Sony Alpha DT lenses still benefit from shake reduction. As with any stabilisation system, it counteracts camera movement, not subject movement.

The Alpha 350 does not record video. Sony launched it in 2008 as a DSLR, and no movie mode of any kind is included in its specification.

That means questions about maximum video resolution, frame rates and recording limits simply do not arise with this camera. There are no combined-mode trade-offs to weigh, because there is no footage to capture.

There is also no built-in time-lapse function. Without one, a time-lapse sequence would have to be assembled from separately captured still frames.

What the Alpha 350 does offer serves still photography. The tilting 2.7-inch LCD and live view help with composing images, and the nine-point autofocus system supports picture-taking rather than filming.

The Alpha 350's features score of 34 out of 100 is limited, placing it in the bottom 15% of cameras in our database for Features.

Live view earns full marks, and the 2.7-inch screen size earns most of its available points. The display also tilts, and the camera offers both a built-in flash and support for external flash units.

No weather sealing, no touchscreen and no Bluetooth each cost the specification points, and the 230,000-dot display earns only a small share of its available points.

GPS and Wi-Fi are also missing, so location tagging and wireless transfer would need other means.

Storage and battery score 65 out of 100, which rates as good. The dual memory card slots earn full points, and the camera accepts CompactFlash Type I or II cards plus Memory Stick Duo or Pro Duo media with UDMA Mode 5 support.

The NP-FM500H battery is rated at 730 shots, earning a solid share of its available points. That figure is a rating without documented test conditions, so treat it as a specification number rather than a promise of real-world endurance.

The camera does not support charging over USB, which costs a small number of points. Cards can use FAT12, FAT16 or FAT32 file systems.