Sony Digital SLR Cameras
Sony has branded its digital SLR line "ALPHA", using the lowercase α from the Greek alphabet.
The rationale: when you want your cameras to be number one, doesn't it make sense to use the first letter of the alphabet?
Joking aside, the term ALPHA is familiar to photographers and Japan and China who have used Konica Minolta cameras - which makes sense, since Sony acquired all of Konica Minolta's digital SLR technology in 2006.
After that acquisition, Sony has churned out one camera after the next, constantly improving upon the feature set in each new model released.
A Brief History of the Sony Digital SLR Camera
Sony has pretty good timing.
They ramped up their digital SLR presence and partnered with Konica Minolta right before KM closed up shop for good.
Sony acquired all of Konica Minolta's production know-how, allowing them to develop their first digital SLR in fairly record time.
What follows is a short timeline of the development of the first Sony digital SLR:
- July 19, 2005 - Konica Minolta and Sony announce partnership to jointly develop digital SLR cameras
- January 19, 2006 - Konica Minolta closes up shop and sells operations to Sony
- January 22, 2006 - Sony sets their sights on acquiring a whopping 25% of the digital SLR camera market
- April 19, 2006 - The ALPHA brand of digital SLR cameras is introduced
- June 5, 2006 - Sony announces their first digital SLR: the ALPHA DSLR-A100
Sony wants to be a big competitor in the digital SLR camera market, and that's exactly the direction they're heading.
New Innovation: The Sony SLT
For several years, the digital SLR camera has had an achilles heel.
If you take pictures using the camera's viewfinder then the autofocus is snappy and quick. However, if you take pictures using the camera's LCD (also called "live view" mode) then autofocus slows to a crawl.
This is because in order for live view to work, a mirror inside the camera must be moved out of the way of the sensor. However, when that mirror is moved, it BLOCKS the camera's sophisticated multi-point autofocus.
This same issue affects autofocus performance when capturing videos with a DSLR: you often have to resort to manual focus to keep subjects sharp.
Now Sony has a solution to this problem: say hello to the translucent mirror.
The translucent mirror reflects some light up to the autofocus system AND it allows some light to pass through onto the sensor. This means that autofocus in live view mode and when taking videos is just as snappy as when you're using the viewfinder.
The SLT system also provides some of the fastest continuous shot speeds available on any model DSLR camera — good news if you're a real action photo junkie.
The Latest Sony Digital SLR Cameras
Sony's latest digital SLR offerings now span the range from beginner models to ones geared more for advanced amateurs and semi-professionals.
Sony ALPHA DSLR-A390
| Release Date: July 2010 | ||
| Key Features | 14.2 megapixels, dust control, image stabilization, flip LCD, fast autofocus in live view |  |
| Uniqueness | Fast live view autofocus | |
| Great For | Family photography | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Competitors | Nikon D3100, Pentax K-r | |
| For a little more than the basic A290, you get live view (with Sony's fast autofocus system) and a 2.7 inch LCD that tilts out from the camera for high and low-angle photos. The A390 is for still shots, since it does not include a movie mode. | ||
| Price (With Lens): $500 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA SLT-A33
| Release Date: September 2010 | ||
| Key Features | 14.2 megapixels, 7 photos per second, fast live view autofocus, HD 1080i movie mode |  |
| Uniqueness | Translucent mirror | |
| Great For | Action photography | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Competitors | None | |
| While the SLT-A33 is not a "true" digital SLR, I've included it here because it shares so many features with DSLRs. The SLT-A33 has an electronic viewfinder (which disqualifies it from the SLR name). It also has a semi-transparent mirror, which helps it have very fast autofocus during live view and video capture and give it the super-fast continuous speed of 7 photos per second. A sweep panorama and auto HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode assist with creative images. | ||
| Price (With Lens): $600 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA SLT-A55
| Release Date: September 2010 | ||
| Key Features | 16.2 megapixels, 10 photos per second, fast live view autofocus, HD 1080i movie mode |  |
| Uniqueness | Translucent mirror | |
| Great For | Action photography | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Competitors | None | |
| If you really want to push the speed envelope, then consider the SLT-A55 instead of the SLT-A33. The A55 can capture consecutive photos as a whopping 10 per second, and can also capture HD 1080i video. It also has a flexible 3 inch LCD screen, fast 15-point autofocus, sweep panorama and auto HDR (all features shared with the A33). | ||
| Price (With Lens): $800 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA SLT-A65
| Release Date: October 2011 | ||
| Key Features | 24.3 megapixels, OLED viewfinder, 10 photos per second, flexible 3 inch LCD |  |
| Uniqueness | Translucent Mirror, OLED Viewfinder | |
| Great For | Action and Sports | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Competitors | Canon 600D, Nikon D5100 | |
| If you "feel the need for speed" then the SLT-A65 might just be the right camera for you. Its 15-point autofocus system is paired with a translucent mirror which allows for continuous autofocus in live view and movie modes. In addition, the top speed of 10 photos per second and ISO up to 16000 will let you freeze subject motion in all kinds of available light. The flexible LCD screen can be twisted in all directions and the new high-resolution OLED viewfinder can be used when the sun is too bright to see the LCD. | ||
| Price (With Lens): $1,000 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA SLT-A77
| Release Date: October 2011 | ||
| Key Features | 24.3 megapixels, OLED viewfinder, 12 photos per second, built-in GPS |  |
| Uniqueness | Fast Continuous Speed | |
| Great For | Action and Sports | |
| Level | Intermediate to Advanced | |
| Competitors | Canon 7D, Nikon D7000 | |
| The Sony A77 aims to compete with Canon and Nikon by offering the fastest continuous speed on any DSLR to date: a whopping 12 photos per second. A unique articulated LCD screen can be viewed from virtually any angle (even standing in front of the camera). Toss in full HD 1080p video, sweep panorama, 19-point autofocus, an electronic OLED viewfinder, built-in GPS and an ISO range from 100 to 16000 and you have a camera to be reckoned with. | ||
| Price (With Lens): $2,000 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA DSLR-A560
| Release Date: March 2011 | ||
| Key Features | 14.2 megapixels, 7 photos per second, fast live view autofocus, HD 1080i movie mode |  |
| Uniqueness | Fast live view autofocus | |
| Great For | Action photography | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Competitors | Nikon D7000, Pentax K-5 | |
| The A560 is a clone of the A580 (see below) with one major difference: less megapixels. Essentially, you can get the A560 instead of the A580 if you want the same speed, performance and flexibility offered by the A580 but without the high megapixels count. Since more megapixels are only good if you want to make large prints, you can save some money with the A560 if you never intend to make posters of your photos. | ||
| Price (With Lens): $750 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA DSLR-A580
| Release Date: November 2010 | ||
| Key Features | 16.2 megapixels, 7 photos per second, fast live view autofocus, HD 1080i movie mode |  |
| Uniqueness | Fast live view autofocus | |
| Great For | Action photography | |
| Level | Beginner to Intermediate | |
| Competitors | Nikon D7000, Pentax K-5 | |
| The A580 has features that will appeal to a wide range of photographers. It's fast, with a 15-point autofocus system and the ability to capture 7 photos per second. It's versatile, with a flexible LCD screen, fast live view autofocus, wide ISO range and the ability to capture instant panoramic images. Finally, it's good for both video and stills since it includes a Full HD 1080i movie mode. | ||
| Price (With Lens): $850 USD | ||
Sony ALPHA DSLR-A850
Discontinued Sony Digital SLR Cameras
Since Sony is a relatively new player in the digital SLR camera market, they have released a LOT of camera models in a relatively short period of time.
As such, Sony digital SLRs tend to become out-of-date much sooner than cameras from other established companies like Canon and Nikon.
| CAMERA | RELEASED | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|---|
|
DSLR-A290
 |
July 2010 | If you're looking for a basic Sony digital SLR, then the A290 is a good bet. It has a fixed LCD screen and NO video capture mode which keeps the price down and makes this camera less intimidating to those just making the switch from a point-and-shoot compact. |
|
DSLR-A380
 |
July 2009 | The main difference between the A330 and A380 is the step up in megapixels (from 12 to 14). On all other features, these cameras are virtually identical — if you don't want to make large prints then go for the lower megapixel count on the A330. |
|
DSLR-A330
 |
July 2009 | The A330 is one of Sony's basic digital SLR cameras - and it is also economical. The live view LCD screen can be flipped out from the camera body, making high and low-angle shots significantly easier. |
|
DSLR-A900
 |
Oct. 2008 | The A900 is Sony's first foray into the pro-DSLR market. The A900 includes a lot of high-end features but the standout is its full-frame sensor: it captures a whopping 24.6 megapixels in every shot. The real surprise here is that it's able to capture images at a continuous rate of 5 photos per second (despite their enormous size). |
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