The Sony SLT-A57 features a high-speed mode that can capture any action subject you decide to photograph.
To really understand some of the speed offered by the SLT-A57, you have to know a bit about how it differs from a typical digital SLR.
On the outside, it looks very much the same: large body with a substantial hand grip, and a hump on top to make room for the viewfinder.
But on the inside, things are quite different. That viewfinder is electronic: it's a small video screen instead of the system of reflective mirrors that you'll find in other digital SLRs from Canon, Nikon and Pentax.
The mirror that blocks the sensor (to reflect an image up to the viewfinder) is translucent, allowing some light to hit the sensor while also reflecting some light to the viewfinder.
This translucent mirror results in a very high-speed camera, which I'll talk about more after we take a look at some more of the Sony SLT-A57 Features.
Megapixels | 16.2 |
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Stabilization | In Body |
Memory Card | SD / SDHC / SDXC |
Max. Shutter Speed | 1/4000 |
Max. Photo Capture | 12 per second |
ISO Range | 100 to 25600 |
Movie Modes | AVCHD 1920 x 1080p (60, 24 fps) Motion JPEG 1440 x 1080 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
LCD | Flexible 3in (921,600 dots) |
Viewfinder | Electronic (1.44 million dots) |
Autofocus | 15 point |
Face Detect AF | Yes |
Sensor Dimensions | 23.4 x 15.6 (1.5x crop factor) |
HDMI Port | Yes |
Live View | Yes |
Built-in Flash | Yes |
Compatible Lenses | All Sony ALPHA |
Battery | NP-FM500H LiIon |
Dimensions | 5.2 x 3.86 x 3.19in 132 x 98 x 81mm |
Weight | 21.8oz (618g) |
Consider this: the top consecutive shot speed of some of the most expensive "traditional" digital SLR cameras (those with optical glass viewfinders) is around 6 photos per second.
In contrast, the Sony SLT-A57 features a top speed of 12 photos per second.
What slows down other DSLRs is the mirror that sits in front of the sensor (reflecting an image up to the optical viewfinder) must FLIP UP in order to snap a picture.
This mechanical action can only be sped up so much before it reaches an upper limit. Since the semi-transparent mirror on the SLT-A57 does NOT need to flip up, the camera can grab consecutive shots at a much higher rate.
While impressive on paper, is this something that you can actually use?
The answer is yes, but only if you take a lot of photos of fast-moving subjects and you don't mind sifting through hundred of images looking for the best one.
Simply put: at 12 photos per second, you can rip through 60 photos in 5 seconds.
This can help you capture your daughter playing soccer or your son hitting a ball or your dog sprinting across the lawn, but it also means you'll sped a great deal of time in front of your computer editing all those shots.