Sony Alpha A77 Review

By Xite - January 1, 2013
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It’s taken Sony four years to come back into the corridor meant for enthusiasts or semi-pro photographers, but they have struck back with a bang. With the looks of a traditional DSLR, the A77 has ev....

It’s taken Sony four years to come back into the corridor meant for enthusiasts or semi-pro photographers, but they have struck back with a bang. With the looks of a traditional DSLR, the A77 has everything right from buttons to dials to even the big and heavy body – basically, everything that you’ll look for in a DSLR camera. But the inside is packed with technology. The A77 features Translucent Mirror Technology, which enhances live view and HD video capture. There is also a 5-inch OLED viewfinder along with a 3-inch swivel LCD screen. The viewfinder is electronic and not optical like the other DSLR’s and the impact of adjustments, like filters, exposure compensation, are clearly visible. The bright screen makes viewing the settings easy and makes it simpler for you to shoot as you keep changing the settings.

It’s a tough nut to crack, this A77, as its frame is made of magnesium alloy, similar to the others in its league, which makes it a bit heavy, but it is easy to grip and handle as well. The A77 has a 24.3MP APS-C sensor and yes, if you are already up in arms saying that the Nikon comes with 36MP, you’re right, but we aren’t yet finished with the features, so hold on to those early bird questions. The adjustable LCD monitor is solid and has a nice contrast. It lets you hold the camera at different angles rather than simply straight out from your face just for that additional amount of creativity. The Sony SLT-A77 has a basic ISO range of 100 to 12,800, but can be set to 50 on the low end and 16,000 at the max. It also comes with options like 3D, 2D/3D sweep panorama and scene, which enhances the options list to eight including the handheld twilight.

You wanted more from a DSLR and Sony has packed the A77 with a built-in GPS and the tiny logo is clearly visible on the camera body. This will come in handy to geo-tag your shots, if you want to of course. Sony says that the A77 DSLR is weather and dust-resistant and we can hear all compartments click shut and can emphatically vouch for this. It can handle mist, rain showers and even dust, but don’t be too ambitious and drop this valuable piece in the wide ocean, you’ll have to bid it farewell. The A77 is truly an enhanced piece of machinery and it is one of the best affordable DSLR’s around.

KEY FEATURES
Sensor 24MP CMOS
Screen 3.0” LCD pull out 3 hinge tilt/ swivel 920k
Shutter Speed 30~1/8000 sec, Bulb
ISO Auto, 100-12800, 25600
Storage Memory Stick Pro Duo, SD, SDHC
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