I am heartened to hear that a lot of people find my tech review insightful and refreshing. I would love to review more gadgets but again I am limited by the sources.

This time round, I managed to get hold of the Sony Alpha A350. This model was briefly covered in my previous article and I am glad T3 Magazine offers me a 1-week loan to try it out.

You will read a glossed-up review in the June edition, but meanwhile here's my unedited version.

This review does not cover image quality because a DSLR depends on the interchangeable lens to deliver image quality. The 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens that I got for testing does not do justice to the DSLR.

And if you want a list of features, you can simply do a search on the Internet or visit the official Sony website.

What I love to do here is to share with you my experience with using this camera at a human level, and not able comparing numbers and statistics.

- Excellent Live View with real time auto-focus. Sony did not invent Live View, but Sony certainly makes it work properly, thanks to a simple design that reflects the optical path to a sensor to display on the LCD monitor. Since there is no need to flip-up the mirror or expose the CCD image sensor, the existing AF sensor continues to function, resulting in instant AF speed with not degradation to the normal optical viewfinder mode. This also means the camera doesn't need to flip-up the mirror a few times to make AF adjustments or exposure metering. In other words, (almost) lag-free shutter release experience with live view. The only small drawback is the response lag and the noisier preview image. Click here for the Live View implementation diagram .

- InfoLithium battery. It's amazing that such a simple technology is not being widely deployed to all other DSLR manufacturers. Sony has this on the screen itself, as opposed to, for instance, Nikon embedding this info inside a menu item.

- Smart zoom 1.4x (7MP), 2x (3MP). A350 lets you crop your image smartly without image quality loss due to digital extrapolation. That means your images seem to fill the frame more but actually they are cropped from the original size, resulting in a reduction in the resolution. Smart zoom is only available with Live View, and you see the actual crop in Live View as well, before you take the shot.

- 2.7 inch tilt LCD monitor. It's impressive how Sony manages to include this tilt feature without adding much bulk to the DSLR. The tilt mechanism feels solid too.

- Focus indicator lights up the 9-point focus area even in manual focus mode. While most DSLR gives you the focus indicator in the form of a lit-up dot, A350 goes a step further by lighting up the focus area, showing you the area that you have focused on. This is a useful feature when you activate the 9-point wide area focus mode.

- SteadyShot Optical Image Stabiliser. Nothing surprising here, but the 'stabiliser strengh indicator' is a novelty to show you how hard it is working. And it really works in delivering decently clear images even at slow shutter speeds.

What makes it different from the real pros:
- Only 2.5fps
- Single control dial makes it hard to change aperture and shutter in, say, Manual exposure mode.
- Viewfinder is too small for comfort. I end up using Live View most of the time.
- Plastic body and switches. A far cry compared to some of the consumer digicams like the legendary F828.
- Not weatherproof

Other quirks
- Battery takes a long time to charge
- Battery does not retain charge when switched off.
- Power switch is located away from the grip. Therefore, switching on A350 requires 2 hands.
- Noisy anti-dust motor. Don't activate it at quiet environments lest you want to draw attention.
- the LCD info display during shooting will auto-rotate based on your shooting orientation. But strangely this feature is absent when viewing playback images, unlike other brands like Canon PowerShot G9.
- ISO noise is high considering the advancement of technology among the peers.
- Insufficient room on the hand grip. On many occasions, I accidentally pressed on the buttons while holding the camera.
- Plasticky build makes me wonder if this camera can survive drop test without causing any cracks or loose bolts.

In conclusion
The Sony A350 is one of the most fun DSLR I have used - yet. For years, I have been lamenting how the point-and-shoot cameras lack in mechanical zoom or lag-free shutter. Even when I purchased the F828 4 years ago, it only solves the zoom issue but the shutter lag continues to be a bane for action photography.

While moving to DSLR changes my experience in capturing "the moment", I lack the flexibility in shooting discreetly without placing the DSLR in front of my face and squinting through the optical viewfinder (the shutter sound is also annoying but that's something that DSLR users have to live with it in eternity).

The Sony A350 changes that experience. For the first time, I am enjoying photography with a camera capable of professional images and exposure controls while at the same time having fun like a normal consumer. The light-weight design, albeit losing the robustness and weather-proof, complements with the carry-anywhere shoot-anyhow attitude. With A350, I can finally blend-in with normal casual snappers without sticking out looking like a serious professional.