Sony is expanding its Alpha digital still camera lineup with two new models and also promising a high-end camera will be added to the series later this year.
The DSLR-A300 and DSLR-A350 are the second and third models to be added to the range so far this year and are intended to compete in the entry-level section of the market alongside the DSLR-A200 that Sony introduced at January’s Consumer Electronics Show.
Single-lens reflex cameras use a mirror placed between the lens and the film or image sensor to project the image to the camera’s viewfinder. The mirror moves out of the way when the picture is taken. They typically support interchangeable lenses and are faster and more capable than smaller point-and-shoot cameras.
Sony’s expansion of its Alpha range matches the fast growth in the sub-US$1,000 portion of the digital SLR (DSLR) market, which is expected to see sales of 5.8 million cameras in fiscal year 2007 against 4.2 million in the previous year.
After being confined to the professional end of the digital camera market for years a number of cheaper DSLR cameras from companies like Canon and Nikon kicked off expansion of the sector a few years ago. With sales expanding, companies like Sony and Panasonic entered the market further increasing competition and pushing down prices, which in turn helped give sales a further kick.
The chief difference between the A300 and the A350 is in the resolution of the camera’s image sensor. The A300 is capable of capturing 10.2 megapixel images while the A350 pushes this up to 14.2 megapixels. This latter resolution works out to a 4,592 pixels by 3,056 pixels image.
Both have “Live View,” a Sony system that allows users to frame photos with the camera’s LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor. Originally DSLR cameras didn’t offer such a feature and the viewfinder had to be used to frame pictures but with the expansion of the market such a feature has become more common. Sony said its system does the same but without delaying the autofocus speed — something that competing systems do, it said.
The 2.7-inch LCD panel at the back of the camera sits on hinges so can be swiveled upwards, when taking shots close to the ground, and downwards for times when photographers might hold the camera above their heads.
The two camera were announced on Thursday at the PMA08 trade show in Las Vegas. Both will be available in April and with a lens the A300 will cost about US$800 while the A350 will cost about US$900. The A350 camera body with no lens will also be available and cost about US$800.
