Sony A350 Sample Images
Written by Eric on March 15th, 2008 | 2 Comments
Several sample images are now online (see below) from the Sony like.no.other ad shoot. If you missed Photography Bay’s Sony A350 preview, check it out now and see my thoughts on the fast Live View AF and articulating LCD panel.
When viewing the samples, please note that all images are from in-camera JPEGs. Due the overwhelming amount of white foam in the images (and resulting underexposure), almost all of them were slightly tweaked in iPhoto for brightness or exposure adjustments. Additionally, all shots were handheld and most had the Super Steady Shot feature enabled.
ISO Test
ISO 100:
ISO 200:
ISO 400:
ISO 800:
ISO 1600:
ISO 3200:
All in all, the white foam tricked the camera’s meter, which resulted in underexposed images for the most part. Nothing was really too far off. A few of the high contrast scenes had some highlights blown out or overly dark areas in the shade; however, I was pretty satisfied with what I got out of in-camera JPEGs from the Sony A350.
I normally will only shoot in RAW, but I didn’t know what kind of editing options I would have or how soon I would have access to the RAW files since the A350 was on loan from the Sony set for a couple of hours of play time. As fate would have it, Adobe released updates yesterday for ACR and Lightroom, which now support Sony A350 RAW files (along with the A200 and A300). Now, if my pre-ordered A350 would just hurry up and get here . . .
Based on what I’ve seen thus far, my opinion of the A350 is shaping up to be rather high. As noted in the A350 first impressions review, I think this camera will work out quite nicely for those looking to make the switch from a point and shoot camera to a DSLR. The A350 is not overly intimidating and seems to produce quite pleasant and sharp photos. While higher ISOs can get rather noisy, all the images should shape up quite decently in print.
If the photos above are not enough for you to gander at, check out the links below.
- View the full gallery of Sony A350 sample images (100% sized images available with full EXIF).
- Read the story behind the Foam City ad shoot.
For additional news and reviews, be sure to check out Photography Bay’s Sony A350 page.
March 15th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
“I was pretty satisfied with what I got out of in-camera JPEGs from the Sony A350.”
ISO 1600 has terrible noise in the shadows. That’s the result of going back to a CCD sensor. It’s equivaent to what you see in a D80 or K10D, last-generation image quality.
March 15th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Pat – Thanks for the comment. I was actually referring to the exposure and dynamic range in the quote you reference. Sorry if I didn’t make that clear.
Regardless, I wholeheartedly agree with your observation regarding noise; however, given the target audience, I expect ISO 1600 and 3200 images will work just fine in 4×6 prints. Unfortunately, megapixel headlines drive DSLR sales, especially in the consumer entry-level market. That said, I’m curious to see how the A300’s 10MPs stack up in terms of noise against the A350.