PMA 2008

On the heels of last week's announcement of several new point-and-shoots, Sony added two new DSLRs to the mixwith its announcements at PMA 2008 today.

The 10.2-megapixel Sony Alpha 300 DSLR is billed as an entry-level DSLR, and it has a nice $799 price for the Alpha 300K model, which comes bundled with a zoom lens. It's slated for availability in April.

The Alpha 300 DSLR uses Sony's Bionz image-processing engine and will be available in two versions. The Alpha 300K ($799) comes with the SAL-1870 DT 18-70mm (27 - 105 35mm eq) f3.5 Zoom lens, and the Alpha 300X is bundled with two lenses: the SAL-1870, as well as the SAL-55200 DT 55-200mm F4-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens. No pricing info on the Alpha 300X is available yet.

The camera's extended ISO sensitivity maxes out at ISO 3200, and the Alpha 300 has a sensor-shifting image stabilizer -- a combination that Sony says makes for very clear shots in low light. Sony also claims the Alpha 300's dynamic range optimizer automatically adjusts shots to make them more natural-looking, fix backlight effects, and brighten shadowy shots.

Fitted with a tilting 2.7-inch LCD display (pictured above) and a pop-up flash, Sony says the screen never blinks off in burst mode, which makes it easier to follow a moving subject.

The Alpha 300 also has two levels of anti-dust protection for the CCD: a physical anti-dust coating on the CCD filter, as well as a shaking mechanisms that shakes dust off the sensor.

The Alpha 350 will be available in March. This DSLR has most of the same specs as the Alpha 300, but it bumps its resolution up to 14.2 megapixels.

It's available in three models: a body-only version ($799), the $899 Alpha 350K with the SAL-1870 zoom lens (pictured above), and the Alpha 350X with both the SAL-1870 and the SAL-55200 telephoto zoom lens.