By Chris Nicholls

BERLIN: Sony has taken out a trio of trophies at the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) awards, with their Alpha series leading the way.

The recently released Alpha 350 DSLR took out Best Product — Camera 2008-09, while Sony’s new compact TG3 HD Handycam won Best Product 2008-09. Finishing off the trio, Sony’s 70-300 mm F4.5 – 5.6 G SSM lens won European Lens 2008-09.

According to the judges, the Alpha 350 stood out because of its pop-out LCD monitor, fast response when in ‘live view’ mode and high image quality from its 14.2 megapixel sensor, despite its position as an entry-level model.

Judges also praised the 70-300 mm G-Series lens, saying its SSM (supersonic wave motor) meant “quiet, high speed, high response lens movement” that made it especially useful for shooting sports scenes and others that required a long zoom.

The G Series lens also won approval for its ability to focus down to 1.2 metres, despite its zoom length.

Finally, the new TG3 Handycam took out its Best Product ward based on its ability to pack high quality shooting capability into what was claimed to be the world’s smallest and lightest 1080i camcorder.

The EISA awards are judged each year by a panel of editors and/or technical editors from 52 European technology magazines covering 19 member countries.

The official ceremony will be held in Berlin on 29 August.