Sony A77 review at Photographyblog: “it outperforms the competition!”
One of my favorite websites Photographyblog (Click here) tested the Sony A77. And the verdict is that the camera is “Essential“!!! If I am not wrong the last camera to get the highest verdict was the Nikon D3s which costs quite a bit more!
According to the reviewers the A77 “out-performs the direct competition” and “At a time when compact system cameras are the centre of attention, it’s great to see some real innovation in the DSLR world, and for that innovation to result in a truly exceptional camera like the new Sony A77.”
I 100% agree that Sony is really innovating the digital camera market. And while some things have to be worked out (see lag issues or the not 100% perfect JPG quality) Sony is leading us to a new future where electronic viewfinders and photo+still hybrid systems will become the mainstream technology. It will be hard for Canon and Nikon to fight against that!
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The A77 is out of Stock in almost any worldwide online store I checked. There are still some auctions on eBay (Click here) but most of the times you have to pay a couple of hundreds dollars/Euro extra. The A77 should be in Stock again by mid January. Click these linsk to search for A77 preorders: Amazon, B&H, Adorama, J&R, eBay.
.....لؤي
2 years ago |First( sony a77) in Saudi Arabia
First( sony a77) in Saudi Arabia
Please visit here
http://www.7mode.me/694/%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A95229
admin
2 years ago |Cool! This is the very first arabic A77 review!!!
Adam
2 years ago |Just posted a small piece on ISO and noise in cameras (here: https://plus.google.com/108698687254515347822/posts/PBzCh9TzJQw) for my photography Q&A-blog
I tried the difference between overexposure and underexposure when you are doing 6400 ISO on the A77 – and the difference in noiselevels are nothing less than staggering. I am beginning to believe that some of the less favorable reviews are simply done by people who have underexposed the images. And the A77 leans towards underexposure unless you use exposurecompensation to set it right.
See the images in the article
Dave Cox
2 years ago |Great article Adam! I’ve also found my A77 tends to underexpose – a lesson to never use any of the ‘Auto’ settings
I’m seriously staggered with the difference in noise between those images on your site/video. Will go out to try some test shots of my own tonight – thanks!!
albin
2 years ago |that’s typical of sony camera apparently.
this is to retain detail in highlights.
albin
2 years ago |nothing new here. overexposing gives more light which in turn makes high ISO more usable.
Adam
2 years ago |I am not saying that it is groundbreaking research that will earn me a nobel prize. Just surprised about the difference in under- and slightly overexposed noiselevels.
Matthew
2 years ago |Hey man, it’s groundbreaking to me, I never thought about it before! I’m getting ready to get an NEX-7, and this will have to be a point to remember when I do low light photography. Now is this with a JPEG image or RAW that you do this post processing with?-
shamb
2 years ago |Thats a good example, Adam.
It would be interesting to see how the performance of an A77 in low light with a +0.3 Exposure compensation (which would negate the effects of the translucent mirror) handles against competing cameras with normal mirrors.
I ask because perhaps Sony steadyshot allows exposure compensation to produce lower shutter speeds than the competition, making the noise differences in real use reduce to zero.
decato
2 years ago |If you have room for overexposing 1 full stop, why not go down one ISO level lower and expose right?
Overexposing you are risking the highlights. The great dynamic range of A77 should be helping a bit, but I don’t think there is anything new with this. More light means less noise.
sergei
2 years ago |You don’t have to overexpose with a77, but make sure the exposure is spot and maybe a tad +. When letting cameras decide the exposure in low light, they get thrown off by the lights inside the room. Expose for mid tones, check histogram and you’ll be fine. An underexposed iso 640 will worse than a properly exposed iso 1600
Adam
2 years ago |I dont think that overexposing a full stop is always necessary. The important thing is to “expose to the right” – use the histogram to mak sure that nothing is underexposed.
lastoneleft
2 years ago |This is exactly my experience as well. With good exposure – usually +0.7 or even +1 overexposure – makes a huge difference, and ISO 6400 totally acceptable.
David
2 years ago |I do the same. Hell, most people with most cameras underexpose because they don’t understand how to read the meter. White things SHOULD be +1.0 or maybe more
Abi
2 years ago |“One of my favorite websites Photographyblog (Click here)…”
geez admin, you should have a better taste…
danny
2 years ago |All the time I hear panning is impossible ? Can anyone confirm this ? Because I think this is a serious problem.
sora3
2 years ago |Nope. I’ve used the a77 in motor racing and it was fine. Here’s one shot I’ve done where the car was moving fast with panning.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6490900123_8fe8355afc_b.jpg
Aero
2 years ago |I still believe Nikon 1 is the most innovative interchangeable lens system. On sensor phase detection is the future of digital camera, not the translucent mirror technology.
SonyA77
2 years ago |When Nikon do it on a big sensor then I’ll be impressed…
Matthew
2 years ago |Agreed, as is the J1 and V1 are great for the point and shoot crowd, and soccer moms who want to take pictures of their children playing sports. But for a professional camera? Nope, Nikon dropped the ball with this one. (I’m not bashing the 1 series, I just wish that there were more distinct advantages that were beneficial to pros with the V1).
WTH
2 years ago |Having used the A77 for several months, I believe it to be just pure AWESOMENESS!
Panning with the EVF is not a problem at all.
Nikon 1 sensor might be great, but I prefer the Foveon X3 sensor technology.
I hope, that one day, PD can be added to that sensor.
Credits to Sony for taking an old technology and making it work.
Very happy with the A77!
TypeZeiss
2 years ago |Is there still lag when switching between Menus with the a77? I am stuck between getting the a77 and the Nex 7
danny
2 years ago |Please don’t let a little lag influence your decision …
typezeiss
2 years ago |it won’t, but does it or do you know?
www.MilosJanata.com
2 years ago |Quite easy to beat the competition, because there is no competition.
Vlad
2 years ago |“photo+still hybrid systems”
Nice!
WTH
2 years ago |I find the A77 with 1.04 to be responsive enough.
The only gripe I have at the moment is the slight delay in the continous autofocus.
Homer Scarborough
2 years ago |I am still upset that Sony chose to go backward from the a700 and leave out any tethering capability on the a77.
Dave Cox
2 years ago |Change the record!!
atlantropa
2 years ago |“If I am not wrong the last camera to get the highest verdict was the Nikon D3s which costs quite a bit more!”.
Sorry, but you’re wrong.
Both Panasonic GH2 and G3 are “essential” – and get 5 at IQ.
And few weeks ago in France you could have a new G3 for 370 EUR, which is close to 1/3rd the cost of an A77…
Cliff
2 years ago |Ironically, the A77 doesn’t outperfom it’s baby brother. (The little one that let’s ALL the light hit it’s sensor)
Too funny!
SonyA77
2 years ago |Cliff the A77 EASILY outperforms all of Sony’s APS-C dSLRs. Oh wait, I guess you are concerning yourself with 100% crops of your cat at 6400 though…if that’s the case down-sample the 24mpix image to 16mpix and then come back with the crap you’ve posted.
I sometime wonder if some people here actually know anything at all about cameras…
Cliff
2 years ago |I recently built a time machine and took it into the future. I picked up a new Sony 50 megapixel APSC sensor camera. It was an awesome camera, lemme tell you. File sizes were HUGE. C’mon, 50 million pixels using the latest technology microscopic photosites on that bad-ass ultra high resolution sensor.
I also took the time to get on our future SonyAlphaRumors forums. (In the future we are HUGE!…Sony headquarters even has a staff that takes notes of everything we post!)
On the future site, I noticed all this “high megapixel” debate. It was basically argued by some that only “photo-idiot” would actually try to view a 50MP image a 1:1 100% crop. (of course that would look like crap, especially above 400 ISO)
A TRULY educated photog would know to view his 50MP image at no more than 50% crop. A TRULY educated educated person understands that his new 50MP sensor is only “good” for 25MP.
OMG too funny. If you have 24MP and it only looks good when it’s dithered, interpolated and downsized to 16MP,…than why go to the trouble of cramming 24 million TINY photosites in the first place? (Yes, I know,..what a retarded question)
And the A77 “EASILY” outperforms the the NEX7? What?….oh cause it has the translucent mirror! I forgot that the mirror INCREASES the picture quality and the NEX7 doesn’t have that advantage. Right!
Cliff
Matthew
2 years ago |Nice sarcasm, and funny post. Although for real-world usage (where at least 80% of your shots will be well lit, at least for me) the 24 megapixel size is welcome (on the NEX-7 of course). For someone to say the A77 outperforms the NEX-7 in image quality is just talking out of their ass really. You can’t get better quality when 30% of your light input is lost in a mirror! in other words, I agree entirely.
Dave Cox
2 years ago |It’s not 30%. It’s one third of one stop. Please read the information and stop perpetuating myth.
shamb
2 years ago |Steadyshot gives you enough of an effective stop increase in real life to make practical difference between NEX and alpha less (unless you are on a tripod).
Also, there’s more choice in quality alpha lenses (although that may change depending on relative commercial success of the two systems).
Matthew
2 years ago |I agree and was going to mention the same thing, but those cameras are in a completely different class their own apart from the NEX-7 and D3s.
calxn
2 years ago |Based on DPreview’s NEX-7 review, it outperforms the A77 in IQ. You A77 fans may not want to hear it, but I bet you all would agree Sony’s best bet is the NEX line, yet they seem to be investing more in the SLT line. So disappointing they don’t see the potential yet. But then, no one did, until the NEX-7 was announced.
SonyA77
2 years ago |calxn, if you don’t understand why people want the A77 over the NEX-7 then perhaps you should educate yourself on the major differences between them.
calxn
2 years ago |Later, when we come back, “when fanboys attack!” We’ll be right back.
I shoot Hasselblad DMF, Nikon DSLR, Fuji X100, and have NEX-7 on order. I’ve own more quality DSLR glasses than you’ll ever dream of owning. I think I understand the difference. I never said dump SLT. I’ve owned an SLT and enjoyed it. I’m just saying put more effort into NEX. Their SLT isn’t going to catch up to Canikon. Did we really need both an A77 and A65 while the E lens lineup is weak? The opportunity is in NEX so put appropriate resources into designing E lenses. Fanboys always take every comment as an affront to their preferred brands or positions.
I repeat, NO ONE is saying to dump the SLT. Take off the fanboy colored glasses!
TypeZeiss
2 years ago |two TOTALLY different cameras. Your not going to shoot a sports event with a Nex 7. Your not going to shoot a commercially with a Nex 7. The Nex 7 is amazing, for what it does, but it does not lend itself to EVERY application. I am still up in the air on which I will get. nex 7 would be great for walking around and travel, which I do a lot of. Took a trip to Chicago last July and didn’t bring my a900 because it was just too heavy. The nex 7 would have mitigated that issue.
rascal
2 years ago |Stop that now…
We all know that the nex7 has a better IQ due to the mirrorless system. But we choose the a77 for A lenses AND AF performances. I’d be glad to buy a Nex’X’ as soon as it can shoot BIF with a 300/2,8 better than ‘reflex’ system.
amiel
2 years ago |got mine last monday and they have plenty of stock. Madrid Spain
Cliff
2 years ago |I agree with “rascal”. Yes, the A77 is a kick-ass camera with allot of cool toys. no doubt. And yes, the NEX 7 can’t do many of the things the A77 can do.
The ironic thing is that for being a cheaper and smaller and “lower” camera, it’s got better image quality.
There is just something inherently funny about “high-end” camera with lower IQ than it’s little brother.
You would have thought that Sony would have added image noise in the post processing just to degrade it down a bit so as to not outshine it’s big brother.
But yes, they appeal to two different markets.
Cliif
balroth
2 years ago |They aren’t brothers they are cousins, A77 is not the Nex 7 big brother is a different system, Nex7 is clearly the big brohter of the Nex system and between the two families big brothers there are differences, advantages… but if people don’t understand this… its a stupid waste of time…
Matr0x
2 years ago |Essential ?! They`re joking ? I LOVE its ergonomics, and yes it has a bunch of cool new features and remarkable color, but hey ! They call it essential while it has visible noise even at ISO100 ? Unusable smeared, blurry, totally killed by processing JPEG and practically upscaled 24Mpix “detail” quality in JPEG, that has barely more visible details then 12Mp shots. With its sluggish responsiveness, huge On|Off switch delays. That funny, tiny buffer depth, only 2sec series lenghts – is it a joke ? And maximum writing speed of ~42-45Mb/s with fastest 90Mb/s UHS-I cards. A bunch of bugs that hasnt fixed yet after several firmwares been released.
I have this camera and know what im talking about. It is definitely a capable device, but there is a room to work on!
voyager42
2 years ago |Just an FYI… My A77 just gave up the ghost. Bought from Amazon on November 3, 2011 and it completely stopped working on December 14, 2011. Took about 1000 photos during the time it was working. Very pleased with the camera until it died!!!…
The 2470ZA lens would autofocus but the camera itself was completely DEAD!!!
Spent over 30 minutes with Sony support and after they passed me to the product specialist they agreed it would have to be sent back for service.
Shipped to the Sony Repair Center in Laredo TX today…
Anybody else with an A77 have a complete shutdown failure?
I’ll keep you posted…