The Sony α 350 was introduced in Japan in March 2008. It has a 14.2 megapixelCCD sensor, the second highest pixel count for an APS-C format DSLR at the time of its launch, marginally exceeded by the Pentax K20D CMOS sensor.
The Live View is provided by a secondary low-resolution video sensor placed in the mirror-prism housing to provide a view of the focusing screen, which allows retention of phase-contrast autofocus. Live View is mechanically switched via a moving mirror surface. When Live View is active, the normal exposure metering is replaced by metering from the LV image itself offering many more zones or points, along with more accurate white balance. This system is shared with the Sony Alpha 300, a 10.2 megapixel variant.[1]