Sony wants to introduce you to their Alpha SLT-A77 Digital Camera With 16-50 mm Lens Kit. This DSLR has a number of things going for it, not the least of which is the 24.3Mp sensor. Think of all the possibilities 24.3 megapixels of resolution has: mural sized prints, incredible detail, rich color, and more! If you've been craving the pixel power of the medium format back, but in a DSLR rig, now your wait is over.
Sony also gave the A77 their 2nd generation Translucent Mirror Technology system. What does this technology do? It allows the camera to focus with the speed and accuracy of Phase Detection AF and shoot simultaneously. This is an unheard of capability in the world of digital photography, well until now, that is. The camera also boasts Sony's upgraded BIONZ image processor. The processor performs many functions, including efficiently transferring shot data to the chip in your memory card. It also reduces visual noise, and ensures that functions such as 6-image layering and 2D/3D Sweep Panorama work smoothly, and with the necessary speed.
More than a still camera, the SLT-A77 also captures high-quality 1920 x 1080p AVCHD video at 60p or 24p. You can also choose to record at 60i. HD movies can also be captured with full manual control. That means the entire mode dial is at your disposal: Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual. Live View, Full-Time Live View (in LCD or EVF) are also available for use as is Full-Time Phase Detection AF. The latter of course being an intelligent way to correct focus automatically, while you concentrate on the scene at hand.
What the DSLR also offers, above and beyond most less-sophisticated cameras, is a viewfinder, the way all your heroes used to shoot. The A77's OLED viewfinder gets your eye off the LCD screen and into the right situation for capturing successful images. Like all viewfinders, this one keeps distractions and glare at bay. But what the OLED viewfinder does that's above and beyond the pack includes a reduction of motion blur on the Tru-Finder screen. The OLED features 2359K dots of resolution and a high contrast ratio. It also allows you to see the results of camera adjustments in real time with true-to-life color and detail.
Of course, the SLT-A77 does have an LCD screen too, but not just any monitor. This one tilts and swivels for everything from hard-to-get shots to successful reviewing of footage in harsh lighting conditions. What else does this type of LCD allow you to do? How about self-portraits? (We all know you take them... every 'creative' photographer does!) When it's not in use, the screen folds flat to the camera for safe storage and traveling.
As far as shooting performance is concerned, in regards to all things internal on the camera, the A77 backs up those 24.3Mp with the kinds of features and functions one would expect. First, the camera supports burst shooting up to 12 frames per second at full resolution, that's great news for sports photographers. The A77 also boasts a super-short lag time of only 0.05 seconds. Then there's the 16,000 ISO sensitivity and the 1200-zone exposure metering. The metering function reads directly from the camera's main image sensor and offers the choice of Multi, Center, and Spot metering.
As for more proprietary shooting features, the camera has a load of those too! While you can shoot on manual, you might find yourself playing with all the built-in options for expressing your creativity. First off, there's the dual control dials that give you access to two settings at once. All the traditional P/A/S/M exposure modes can be found there. Getting into the menu functions you'll find options such as 19-point Auto Focus, Object Tracking AF, and 6-image layering just to start. Dig a little deeper and Handheld Twilight mode and Multi-Frame NR are there to help you capture excellent low-light images.
You'll also find extras such as built-in GPS. The integrated GPS receiver records the location and time of every shot you take, allowing you to view them later on a map with compatible computer and Internet applications. This feature is also great for those into 'geo-tagging'. Eleven Picture Effects modes also give you another way to express yourself with options like Pop Color, Retro Photo, Toy Camera, and more. Old standards like face detection and Sony's Smile Shutter technology are there for your use as well.
Like any good DSLR worth its salt, Sony gave the SLT-A77 a built-in flash for capturing low-light shots with ease. That same flash can also trigger an optional wireless flash. The camera also has an integrated hot shoe for attaching various external flashes and flash accessories (sold separately).
Burst Buffer | JPEG Standard (17 shots) JPEG Fine (17 shots) JPEG Extra Fine (13 shots) RAW (13 shots) RAW+JPEG (11 shots) |
Continuous Shooting Speed | Continuous (Hi: up to 8fps,Low: up to 3fps) Continuous Priority AE (12fps) |
Drive Mode | Single-shot, Continuous shooting (Hi/Lo selectable), Self-timer (10/2 sec delay selectable), Bracket (Continuous/Single/WB/DRO), Remote commander (RMT-DSLR1 Sold Separately) |
Self-timer | 2-sec. or 10-sec. delay, |
Shutter Speeds | 1/8000 to 30 seconds, bulb |
Shutter Type | Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane shutter |
Lens Compatibility | Sony A-mount lens |
Camera Type | Sony A-mount interchangeable lens digital camera |
Imaging Sensor | Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (23.5 X 15.6mm) |
Processor | BIONZ image processor |
Anti Dust | Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism |
Pixel Gross | Approx. 24.7 megapixels |
Effective Picture Resolution | Approx. 24.3 megapixels |
Focal Length Conversion Factor | 1.5x |
Color Filter System | RGB primary color filters |
Media Type | Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo media; SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card |
Color Space | sRGB, AdobeRGB |
Still Image Mode | JPEG (Standard, Fine, Extra Fine), RAW, RAW+JPEG |
Still Image Size 16:9 | L size: 6000 x 3376 (20M) M size: 4240 x 2400 (10M) S size: 3008 x1688 (5.1M) |
Still Image Size 3:2 | L size: 6000 x 4000 (24M) M size: 4240 x 2832 (12M) S size: 3008 x 2000 (6M) |
Panorama Still Image Size | Horizontal Wide: 12,416 x 1,856 (23M) Horizontal Std.: 8,192 x 1,856 (15M) Vertical Wide: 2,160 x 5,536 (12M) Vertical Std.: 2,160 x 3,872 (8.4M) 3D Sweep Panorama: Horizontal Wide: 7152 X 1080 (7.7M) Horizontal Std.: 4912 X 1080 (5.3M) 16:9: 1920 X 1080 (2.1M) |
Video Format | AVCHD / MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)) |
Video Mode | AVCHD: PS - 1920 x 1080/60p@28Mbps FX - 1920 x 1080/60i@24Mbps FH - 1920 x 1080/60i@17Mbps FX - 1920 x 1080/24p@24Mbps FH - 1920 x 1080/24p@17Mbps MP4: HD - 1440 x 1080/ 30p@12Mbps VGA - 640 x 480/ 30p@3Mbps |
Video Signal | NTSC color, EIA standards |
Audio Format | Dolby Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC |
Microphone/Speaker | Built-in Stereo Microphone |
Still Image File Format | JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver.2.3, MPF Baseline compliant), RAW (Sony ARW 2.3format), 3D MPO (MPF Extended compliant) |
Accessory Shoe | Yes (Alpha) |
BRAVIA Sync | Yes, via HDMI with compatible BRAVIA HDTV |
DVDirect | Yes, via USB |
HD Output | HDMI (TypeC mini) |
Memory Card Slot | Dual compatibility slot: Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo/PRO-HG HX Duo media - SD, SDHC and SDXC memory card |
PhotoTV HD | Yes, with BRAVIA Sync enabled HDTV and HDMI cable |
USB Port(s) | USB2.0 Hi-speed (mass-storage, MTP) |
Focus System | TTL phase detection AF (CCD line sensors) |
Focus Points | 19 points (11 points cross type) |
AF Modes | Single-shot AF(AF-S), Continuous AF(AF-C), Automatic AF(AF-A) selectable, Direct Manual Focus (DMF), Manual Focus |
Focus Area | Wide (auto,19 points)/Zone/Spot/Local selectable |
Focus Sensitivity | EV -1 to 18 EV (at ISO100 equivalent, with F2.8 lens attached) |
Focus Features | Predictive control(AF-A, AF-C), Focus Lock, Eye-start AF |
AF Illuminator | Built-in LED, Range: approx. 3' - 21' (1m-7m) |
Viewfinder Type | 0.50" XGA OLED EVF (Electronic viewfinder) (2,359k dots) |
Diopter Adjustment | -4.0m-1 to +3.0m-1 |
Field of View | 1 |
Magnification | 1.09x (with 50mm lens at infinity, -1m-1 ) |
Auto High Dynamic Range | Yes, (Auto Exposure Difference, Exposure difference Level (1-6 EV at 1.0 EV step), off) |
Embedded GPS | Yes |
Sweep Panorama | Horizontal (Wide/Standard), Vertical and 3D Panorama |
Face Detection | On/On (Regist. Faces)/Off |
Smile Shutter technology | Smile shutter (selectable from 3 steps) |
Image Stabilization | SteadyShot INSIDE in-body image stabilization |
LCD Type | 3.0" TFT Xtra Fine LCD (921,600 pixels) w/TruBlack technology |
Angle Adjustment | Tilt angle: Up: 150 degrees; Down: Approx. 180 degrees Rotation angle:180 degrees clockwise and 90 degrees counterclockwise. |
Brightness Control | Auto, Manual (5 steps between -2 to +2) |
Coverage | 1 |
Live View | Continuous Live View (LCD/EVF Auto, selectable) |
Real-time image adjustment display | Yes(On/Off) |
Histogram | Yes (On/off) |
Grid Display | Yes (Rule of thirds, 4x6 Square, Diagonal & 4x6 Square Grids, Off) |
Customization | Grid, Histogram display, Digital Level Gauge, Grid Line, Magnified display for playback |
Lens Mount Type | Sony A-mount |
Metering | Advanced 1200-zone evaluative metering |
Metering Modes | Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot |
Metering Sensitivity | -2EV to 17EV (at ISO 100 equivalent w/ f/1.4 lens) |
Exposure Compensation | +/-5.0 EV(1/3EV,1/2EV steps selectable) |
Exposure Settings | AUTO,AUTO Advanced (AUTO+), Scene Selection (SCN), Sweep Panorama, 3D Sweep Panorama (3D), Continuous Advance Priority AE (12fps), Movie, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M) |
Scene Mode(s) | Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night View, Handheld Twilight |
Picture Effect(s) | 11 types (15 variations) |
D-Range Optimizer | Yes: (Auto, Level, Off) |
Auto Exposure Lock | Yes (AE Lock button) |
Color Temperature | 2500 - 9900 k with 15-step each Magenta/Green compensation (G7 to M7), Amber/Blue (A7 to B7) |
Creative Style | Standard, Vivid, Neutral, Clear, Deep, Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, Night Scene, Autumn leaves, Black & White, Sepia (Contrast (-3 to +3steps), Saturation(-3 to +3steps), Sharpness(-3 to +3steps)) |
Exposure Bracketing | Bracket: Cont./Bracket: Single, 3/5 frames selectable |
ISO | Auto (ISO 100-12800, selectable the lower limit and the upper limit ); Selectable ISO100 - 16000 equivalent (ISO numbers up from ISO50 can be set as expanded ISO range) |
Noise Reduction | Long Exposure NR: (On/Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second) High ISO NR: (High/Normal/Low) |
White Balance Mode | Auto,Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent (Warm White, Cool White, Day White, Daylight), Flash, Setting the color temperature, Color Filter, Custom |
Battery Type | InfoLITHIUM NP-FM500H (7.2V) |
Number of Still Images | Approx. 470 images with viewfinder, 530 images with LCD monitor (CIPA standard) |
Flash Compensation | ±3.0 EV (switchable between 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps) |
Flash Coverage | FOV coverage up to 16 mm (in the focal length) |
Recycling Time | Approx. 3 sec. |
Flash Bracketing | 0.3/0.5/0.7/2.0/3.0EV steps, 3/5 frames(2.0/3.0EV: only 3 frames) selectable |
Flash Metering System | ADI flash / Pre-flash TTL / Manual flash |
Flash Modes | Auto, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Hi-speed sync., Red-eye reduction (on/off selectable for Autoflash and fill-flash mode), Wireless, Off |
Flash Type | Built-in, Pop-up Auto |
Guide Number | 12 (in meters at ISO100) |
Supplied Software | PMB (Picture Motion Browser) v5.2; Image Data Converter SR v3.2; Image Data Lightbox SR v2.2 |
Operating System Compatibility | Windows XP SP3 (32-bit), Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1; Mac OS X (v10.3-v10.6), PMB is not compatible with Mac OS. Camera (via USB), Image Data Converter and Image Data Lightbox software are compatible with Mac OS. |
Dimensions (Approx.) | Approx. 5-3/4 x 4-1/8 x 3-1/4" (142.6 x 104 x 80.9mm) (W/H/D) excluding protrusions |
Weight (Approx.) | Approx. 1 lb 7 oz (653g) (excl battery, lens & media) Approx. 1 lb 9.8 oz (732g) (w/battery & media) |
Lens
Focal Length | 16 - 50 mm Comparable APS-C Focal Length: 24 - 75 mm |
Aperture | Maximum: f/2.8 Minimum: f/22 |
Angle of View | 83° - 32° |
Minimum Focus Distance | 1" (25.40 mm) |
Magnification | 0.2x |
Groups/Elements | 13/16 |
Diaphragm Blades | 7 |
Autofocus | Yes |
Image Stabilization | No |
Filter Thread | Front: 72 mm |
Dimensions (DxL) | Approx. 3.19 x 3.46" (8.10 x 8.79 cm) |
Weight | 20.35 oz (577 g) |
Reviews Sony Alpha SLT-A77 Digital Camera with 16-50mm F/2.8 Lens (Free Bag + 16GB SD Memory Card) (Sony Malaysia)