Image on top shows the A77 with the new 16-50mm f/2.8 lens!
After China, Thailand, Malaysia and Italy, now even Germans do leak A77 images! We found plenty of new full size pictures at http://www.d-slt.de/sony-a77/ (Thanks M!!!). Actually the website owner said that he got the picture form Sony itself (without NDA agreement?)! Click on the thumbnails below to open a new tab with the full size image! Keep in mind that Sony will announce all the new stuff on Wednesday August 24! This includes the A77, A65, 16-50 f/2.8 lens, vertical grip for the A77, NEX-7, NEX-5N, BG20, Zeiss 24mm f/1.8 for E-mount, 50mm f/1.8 OSS for E-mount, 55-210mm OSS for E-mount and new external EVF for the NEX-5N. Be sure to be online at SAR to follow the Sony announcement!
P.S.: You can find SAR also on Google+, Facebook and Twitter!
Reminder: Those are the A77 specs!
24.3 MP Exmor HD CMOS sensor
19 points AF sensor with 11 cross sensors
ISO 100-16000, with expandeable ISO 50 option
1920 x 1080 60p/24p AVCHD 2.0
P/A/S/M manual controls while recording video
1200 zone metering
Completely new developed Bionz processor
12 fps
1/8000 shutter speed
50ms minimum release time lag
electronic first shutter curtain
TrueBlack 921k 3-way tilt LCD
3 million dot OLED viewfinder
Smart teleconverter function with 1.4x and 2.0x option
Built-in flash
Built-in GPS
Battery life with over over 500 shots
Magnesium alloy body
Dust and Moisture proof
Multi Frame NR
SD card (no CF!)
A77 weights 680g and A65 weights 543g
Body only will be priced at $1000-$1200
Body + 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM Kit will be priced between $1600 and $1800.
The A77 and the A65 will be available in Europe and US around the 17th-20th of October.
UPDATE: “M” noticed that the “the A77 als does not have the usefull dedicated D-range button that A550/580 have.”
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246 Responses
WOW! Very NICE! More beautiful than I thought!
Formula 1…
Looks amazing…can’t wait!!!
That’s a new flash isn’t it? Is that the hvl-f43?
that’s hvl-43
brilliant !!
poorly seems the lcd can’t be moved over the body
What do you mean?
I think you’ll be surprised.
That is one sexy and hot thing…
Now the movement of the LCD screen makes sense to me and boy does it promise to be versatile.
This is almost certainly my next camera.
If the inner specs are mind-blowing, I may even forgive the fact that it took Sony almost 4 years to fill this gap.
Just a few more days!
hey, taking pictures by this are super trooper, but its ALL about video…
Aren’t you guys afraid that the wishbone hinge will be too fragile?
In particular, what I don’t like about the hinge of A33/A55 is, that there is no way of locking the LCD screen in its home position. There’s always some minor movement. Nikon for example uses a snap fit to keep the screen tight in position.
I wonder if the LCD can be rotated 180 degrees to face the body and then closed?
That way you can protect the LCD and since most functions can be seen in the viewfinder, battery life can be increased.
(I used to do this with my old Canon S2IS)
I guess I’ll find out in a few more days…
It looks like it can, just like the LCD on the A55 can.
Looks hot!
wow .. looks awesome
cant wait to have one .. the design is amazing 🙂
seems the 12 fps is like the a55 .. have a special mode?
I never used the D-Range button on the A550. When you are shooting RAW, its absolutely not necessary.
What I miss on the A77 so far is a better placed ISO button. I mean, come on, one of the three most important setting is (next to shutter speed and aperture) ISO. Not WB, not D-Range, because those two are usually only set at the beginning of a shooting and not changed later (and even if you forget these settings, … so what, thats what RAW is for).
On my loved A700 I set the Custom C to change the ISO, so that I can blindly press it when my eyes are attached to the viewfinder, on both the camera (when holding in landscape mode) and my battery grip (when holding in portrait mode). Now it is only on the top, doesn’t seem to be a good position to easily access it, if you ask me, maybe with the index finger? Lets wait’n’see.
ISO is one of the two buttons right behind the shutter release. I think that should be pretty easy to reach with the index finger.
Indeed it’s more bothering the lack of SSS switch
Evidently the ISO will be visible in the viewfinder.
Do we have any idea what exactly the buttons are on the top near the led screen? I think i see 5 buttons, plus something on the outside edge that looks like a small button (or a screw)
From the viewfinder-hump out to the strap lug:
Live View, Drive Mode, White Balance, Exposure Compensation, ISO, and the last, I believe, is an illumination button for the top LCD.
The first one should be finder/LCD
a ‘drive mode’ button? i has assumed that that was controlled on the front of the camera by the twist thing next to the lens mount (MF, C, A, S)
The dial next to the lens mount controls autofocus mode, just like pretty much any other AF SLR in the past 25 years. Drive mode is for single/continuous/remote/bracketing etc.
Looks great!
But, can anybody tell me what the ?-button is for?
On one picture you can see two modes (where P,M,A,S, scenes etc are) named MR (maybe manual recording ?) And 30. Do you know what these modes mean?
I think the ’30’ might be ‘3D’
Had the same idea, but why should they make an extra 3d mode ?
3D sweep probably.
MR is for recalling memorized settings, like the A700. I would be lost without it.
‘?’ = For info about a camera function, maybe if you click it when youre on the ISO screen it explains what the ISO does, or something pointless like that…
‘MR’ = Probably a saved manual setting.
Looks sweet!
Im praying to god sony have some surprise alpha lenses hidden under their sleeve to shut the canikons up, 50mm 1.2G anyone? new 70-200 would be nice, and a 12mm 2.8 would be sweet!
MR = Memory Recall
I am also considering these two buttons.
Is that “30” for “3D”? Which one is right?
Can’t wait to have one! It’s really awesome! No camera had made such impact and excitement to me!
MR is memory recall
The front switch controls Auto Focus:
MF – Manual Focus
C – Continuous AF
A – Automatic AF
S – Single-shot AF
Drive button controls shutter configuration. Continuous, Single shot, 10 second delay, bulb, etc.
At least that’s how other Sony’s work.
that is one sexy camemra!!!
Looks too tiny for my taste, but i don’t care about crop cameras anyway… Bring on a new ff camera with ovf sony!
Really? It looks perfect for me 🙂
tiny?
Magilla Gorilla
😉
Looks too tiny for my taste, but i don’t care about crop cameras anyway… Bring on a new ff camera with ovf sony!
I hope someone will lost job in Germany.
100% agree, that or us pros will switch
MR dial too! glad they didnt leave that out :)!!!
Amazingly Gorgeous.. can’t wait till I get hold of one!
Is the LCD touchscreen? Will it have touchscreen focus?
No, and no, respectively.
That’s a bummer.
I am in awe! =O
Thats one sexy looking camera.. mmm 2 more days.. the wait is nearly over for the official announcement >.<
Does the A77 will be compatible with SD UHS-I ?
I would be shocked if not. I hope but dont expect it to be compatible with SD UHS-II.
I would be shocked if not. UHS-II would give us back most of the CF speed.
SD UHS-II is in fact 3.5 times faster than CF can go at up to 350MB/s
Only no card has reached this speed.
SD cards speed label is advert only, it doesn’t have anything to deal with actual performance.
Only logical explanation about CF absence is Sony want to increase MS PRO DUO card sale. I’m surprised MS still not included in specs. I already hate small card compartment doors.
@Edgars: It accepts SD card just fine. And the specs have already mentioned SD/MS cards. They probably got rid of CF to save internal space.
Can someone explain why the LCD has a thicker black border on the right side? Why does it have to be this asymmetric?
Same as with all such screens. That’s where the LCD control circuitry and connections are.
Why no DOF-preview button? NO BUY!
No mirror lockup? NO BUY!
Remember when those were the biggest reasons not to get a DSLR? 😛
This looks fantastic btw. I’m not sure if I want the A77 or the NEX7. I was certain to get the NEX7, but I have more Alpha-lenses than I have NEX-lenses. And since this is looking so fantastic I am starting to lean to the A77.
im sure there is a DOF button, you just cant see it from these angles
mirror-luck up with an SLT? Why? To gain 1/3 Stop better noise? You’re kidding
And why you need a DOF-Preview? If you are looking at an EVF you will have ever the real situation on what will be in focus and what not. DOF is used in pure Reflex and it close temporarely the Aperture and the OVF go dark… So I think it is un-useful on DSLT.
The same is for Mirror Lockup: someone tested the 16Mpx sensor on DSLT A55 vs the same sensor on DSLR A580 with same results. Mirror is not so big problem and I hope they fixed the low light reflex on it (sometimes visible on A33/55).
Wrong, an SLT also focuses with open Aperture an for low noisy Image in Viewfinder.
Alpha 33 and 55 haven DOF-Buttons and they’re more usefull than at classical DSLR because the Viewfinder doesn’t become darker if you stop down.
The Alpha 77 will certainly have DOF-Preview-Butto, alle the Mock-Ups had it
Aren’t the mirrors always locked in the new style Sony Translucent Mirror locked? Sony says the mirror never moves. So if it isn’t “locked” you have trouble I think.
there is no mirror lockup because the mirror is fixed (and translucent)..
Fredrik you’re an idiot, stop trolling and go play with your Canon Eos1000
Fredrik is commenting on how it used to be and how much things have changed. Read the rest of the comment. He even says he’s leaning toward an a77.
The mirror cannot even physically lock up, beacuse it would hit the rear lens element. You *can* remove the mirror altogether, BTW. All you lose is autofocus.
So it’s a miracle Sony ever made DSLRs. With all these mirrors hitting rear lens element always. 😉
FYI, an SLT mirror is larger than a conventional flip mirror. So large, in fact, that it can’t flip past the rear element of the lens.
DOF preview is on the bottom left side of the lens when looking at the front of the camera.
It’s there but not visible in these shots
You *do* know he was being sarcastic, right?
You *do* know most people here don’t read properly and jumps at the first chance to troll, right?
errrmmmm Seriously??? Do you remember this is a SLT camera right? No mirror lockup on SLT cameras…
Do you understand irony and sarcasm? 😛
Why on earth do you need a DOF preview button when you can view your DOF directly on the EVF itself?
No you can’t. DOF effect is not visible because lens will not close down aperture before taking pics. I think that also the same with dSLT. But DOF preview in APS-C dSLR is useless anyway. You can’t see the effect of it on a dim and small OVF. Just tried it once with my KM5D few years ago and never use it again.
And I think Fredrik was joking??
You think? Meaning that you haven’t tried out the EVF yet. Please come back and comment again when you’ve tried it out yourself.
I know hes joking but what I am emphasising is te advantages of an EVF here. Cheers. 🙂
All DOF effect you can see in EVF or OVF is the one with aperture wide-open. Not really useful. That’s why you need DoF preview button. To stop down the aperture and view real depth of field at the aperture you will use to make photo.
You don’t need to test the EVF to know this. It’s just how the things work.
Whether there is an EVF or an OVF is immaterial with regard to provision of DoF preview. That’s only possible of the camera provides a facility to stop down the lens. However, the thing that an EVF can give you, which an OVF can’t is to compensate for the dimming of the viewfinder image during a DoF preview (at the expense of introducing noise into the EVF). With large F numbers, an OVF DoF preview can be rendered so dark as to limit it’s usefulness.
It’s impossible to tell from these pictures if there is a DoF button, which Sony normally place towards the bottom of the camera mount opposite the finger grip. However, I’d be amazed if an the A77 doesn’t have such a facility.
Steve – there’s one more thing: The EVF gives you much more precise preview of DOF as well as shape of bokeh. Human eye preceieves depth of field differently than sensor does giving different impression. Some people have difficulty with seeing DOF in OVF camera (my friend being one) even if viewed in A900 viewfinder that’s notably bigger than one in APS-C cameras.
EVF solves it all perfectly – depth of field and bokeh in viewfinder is the one on photo.
That is exactly what I mean. You still need to have DOF preview button to close down the lens even with EVF otherwise you still only see DOF of the lens wide open. And IF DOF preview button is not there then it won’t help even though you have EVF or even big full HD LCD at the back of camera. (EVF does not mean it will show DOF of the aperture that you have chosen because AF need the lens wide open to work, you still need to push the DOF preview button to close down aperture)
Agree with both Sky_walker and Steve Jones that this DOF preview button is better implemented in EVF than in OVF for APS-C camera. As I said, I tried DOF on KM5D and all I could see is darken viewfinder. I definitely does not miss it with my A550. Looking forward to use it again in EVF but I might skip A77 and go FF next year.
I think A77 as advance APS-C camera will have this DOF preview button back (just like A580?).
You’ll actually be able to see the DOF on the lcd. But you’re right, the button would be nice.
The button is there, and can be configured for either DOF preview or smart preview like the A900.
The DoF button is hidden by the lens, it is in exactly the same place as the A700.
WOW!!! SAR rocks!!
Thanks Andrea for all these cool pics of a77. Loveing it:)
Oh my Godness!!!
This is amazing! I have no words to describe this fantastic Camera!!
I am looking for the Nex-7 but seeing this A77… really making a decision complicated!
SAR: Please show us the NEX-7 final design and the real size information!!
Looks good, a lot of nice new cameras coming out. I got to choose.
its all good, but having a OLED viewfinder its a joke and a slap for all REAL Photographers…if Sony makes a Normal DSLR version of the a77 with a pentaprism. Then I will buy it and keep all my Sony lenses, and if not I will think about the other brands.
first take a look. its totally new one
I think you need a Leica MP… that is the “real” camera.
I heard many comment again EVF but all those people are who never tried…
Also, for the amateur level doesn’t care about all the extra things… just feel good and have fun taking a picture.
You’re calling a lot of great photographers not real? I think maybe you had better check out this evf.
That is quite a derogatory comment to make. Offensive even.
When you switch, will you give me a good deal on your lenses?
Well, just hand over your lenses then….’real’ photographer.
I hear REAL photographers only use film cameras. 8×10’s, as a matter a fact.
Carlos, the camera is a tool to use to make images. As I say in seminars: “What’s the best camera to take pictures with? The one in your hand – shut up and shoot!”
If the A77 is a pleasure to use and I find it’s EVF a help not a hinderance (which may require me to learn a new tool), then it will find itself firmly in my hands.
Reading that… sounds kinda creepy.
These were great … Couple things to note, some of the metadata in a couple of the original images refer to CX87000 – According to matthiaspaul from Dyxum there are three codes related to CX870xx – CX87000, CX87010, CX87020
So, as might be expected, it looks like the A77 will be offered as body only and as two bundles.
Does the locked mirror mean that no dust can get behind it? This would be a very big advantage: never worry about dust reaching the sensor ( I know I know you have te beware of dust on the mirror now but that seems a lot easier to clean to me).
Based on previous Sony SLT cameras, the mirror does not seal in the sensor so dust can still be an issue. In fact the SLT mirror can be locked up manually when the lens is removed so the sensor can be cleaned. I think it is very unlikely that the A77 is any different.
Thanks for the info Steve. Just keeps me wondering why not (but that’s just me).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robellisphotography/6066528489/in/photostream
Thoughts? seems strange sony trialing the a77 on a teenager, unless theyre going down the diverse market route?
Or unless he’s just edited the EXIF, which is possible but theres always the chance…
it should be SLT-A77 not DSLT
DSLT is also commonly accepted abbreviation 🙂
but not in exif
The teenager just edited the EXIF data, but wasn’t aware of some of the other metadata that shows he shot it with an A200.
^Nice one 🙂
He’s put a description in the image with regards to the EXIF, you were right 🙂
Not done bad for himself with that though lol, 600 views never hurt anyone xD
i still cant get it,…why does the new a77 cant go ISO 25,600 without MFNR?
and like ur rumors before this,..”the new a77 can go ISO to hundred thousand,but i see on ur site its only can go ISO 16,000?or is it typo error of ISO 160,000?or it is expandable?
No typo here! It is ISO 16,000.
i was hoping it can go at least ISO 102,400.well,i still will buy it anyway..hihihihih
Sooo Hot!
Wonder what the buffer is like.. SD card, 24mp, 12fps.. seems like its gonna be a tough job for a SD card?
Lets get this stright. Camera buffer and card reader is more important than the card type. In a SD card test on a Nikon d7000 all times improved when a san disk SDHC UHS-1 card at 45MB/s was used. but when this was replaced with someone else’s 95/80 MB/s SD card times where identical. this is because nikons buffer and card reader top out somwhere around 30MB/s. So if Sony can use all the speed of SD card that would be an achievment.
Wasn’t aware that SD cards could go that fast.
I’m hopefully about Sony’s Reader. When the A700 came out it was probably one of the fastest buses on a camera at the time.
oh ya,..how about shutter lag when using external flash?is it the same like a55??
They better have that fixed, or I’m sending it back.
1 more things,
i hope they do make auto gain function as i hardly play with studio light with dark screen on the a55..
besides,
ISO50 is good for studio also!hihihih….
I need one ………….. woooooooooow.
Greetings.
Don’t worry. They have a setting just for studio mode. 🙂
I use the A560, i have been try use to doing movies, i would like to be near with 5dmark2….
my problem, is the slow shutter of video….
Mhhh… according to the specs Video on A77 will be better than the 5DMarkII: ok, it is not FF but have 60p and full manual mode in Video Recording (and so, also the shutter speed) -> You can take video of 60 frames per second with Shutter set to 1/8000sec…
And in fact, full frame can be WORSE for video.
The DOF is often too thin with full frame to have a good image. i.e. you want the whole of the subjects face in focus, not just the eyes.
So then you have to close up the aperture on your lens. And then you need more ISO (worse image quality) or more lighting (expensive)
A77 could be perfect keen amateur video cam
That would be artistic preference, surely. There are directors who use 65mm film, which has even shallower DOF than full frame digital.
OMG, really cool! Gonna drain my wallet again… nooooooooooooooo…
Wait & see!
I am missing my a700:)
Wait & see!
I am missing my a700
Wait and see!
I am missing my a700
Looking forward to a99
Wait and see!
I am missing my a700
Looking forward to a99.
Wait and see
I am missing my a700
Looking forward to a99.
Regarding my post about the photo with the interesting EXIF,
Look at this
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robellisphotography/5991235761/in/photostream
hint in the description much?
Personally Im 50% convinced, but dont quote me on that… :L
@John
Now that I look other photos, the kid is a pretty good photog. However, his flickr tags make me think he’s a bit insecure. It’s too bad.
does anybody know the image size produced at finest quality raw?
24mp from an a850 gets me around 36Mb for 1 raw file
jpgs are around 20mb
Wow seems big, Canon’s 5Dmk2 does 20-24MB Raws (21mp).. JPEGS come in at: 4MB
My A700 (12.2MPx) delivers cRAW’s of about 13MB, Jpeg’s (xFine) are around 10MB. So for the A77, double the sizes I guess. BR.
Looks good to me
Did you see the plug near to the viewfinder ?
ahah 🙂
We will be able to attach a bigger screen directly to the Flash mount … or maybe external No compression devices also … This plug is just the cherry on the cake !
wot plug?
I can’t see a plug either. If it’s the thing over the viewfinder that’ll be the Eye View Sensor thingamy. You want to plug external monitor in you can use the HDMI port.
dont think it is, the Eye-start sensors are usually placed below the viewfinder, not above it. That looks very much like an HDMI port to me!
Yes above the viewfinder, look it’s a plug :)))
yummy !!!!
There is no plug. The eye-start AF sensors are above the screen in the A77. The HDMI port is on the left, in the logical place.
Which isn’t good. A450 got them placed this way and I could see reflections from light coming in from the sides. They better would put the VF higher so that light would have it more difficult to get inside.
actually, despite my earlier observation it’s not a plug. I just lightened the image in some editing software and although its roughly the size of an hdmi port, is not the correct shape and as I said before it is definately NOT eye-start, I’ve got plenty of sony/minolta bodies with eye-start and its not that. It actually looks like something different, it looks like a clip that allows you to open the viewfinder. There seem to be two corresponding hinges bottom left and right of the viewfinder. Hmmm…wonder what thats about??
@monkeyface:
No, it’s definitely the eye-start AF. It’s not a hinge or switch, etc. Trust me on this. 🙂
ok Mike, lets say if it is the eye-start then it differs significantly from previous implementations. Normally you have two small blocks side-by-side (IR Transmitter/receiver with a vertical line in the middle) same on all of my Sony and Minolta bodies and always at the bottom of the viewfinder. its about 3mm or so high and the same width as the viewfinder. Now, question, how do you know its eye-start?? you’ve piqued my curiosity, as they say 🙂
@monkey: yes, it’s significantly smaller/more compact than previously. And you’ll know exactly why I know this (and the stuff in my other posts) on Wednesday. 😉
I mean, I can’t tell you what I’m holding in my hands now, can I? 🙂
ok Mike, i’ll take it on trust….for now. BUT rest assured I will be watching on wednesday to ensure that you are telling the truth. If you’re not, expect ridicule in industrial quantities 🙂
@monkey: I wouldn’t have it any other way! 😉
No FHB on the lens is a bit stink, given it won’t be a cheap lens. The rest of the package looks pretty sweet, though.
whoaaaaaa i really can’t wait for this XD if i have money i will definitly buy this a77 at the first launching 😀
So is the Super Steady Shot still there?
Just no button or spec show this..
Of course it’s still there. Bu the SSS on/off was moved into the menus, like on the A33/55.
If you had a choice would you buy a A77 or A850 and they were the same price?
Both are totally different cameras but if I wanted to burn some money I would waste it for an A850 or better the A900.
thats something I keep thinking about, although I think with the age of the A850 (and especially its ISO) performance, even at the same price point I would go for the A77. The A77 should have superior focusing and ISO and while its a smaller sensor, I feel that the added resolution that comes from that aren’t required by their target market. A studio shooter would be better off with the A850/900, but anyone out in the field would benefit from the A77’s assets.
The A99 can’t be too far off now. That’d give the best of both worlds, though the price will be somewhat higher.
a850
Full frame advantage STILL wins over the little sensors.
And although everyone criticised a850 high ISO performance, you still have to think that it still beats ANY aps-c camera out there – including the a580, d7000 etc. The files are HUGE and so even though the noise is more, there is a LOT more detail in the images too.
Plus the thin DOF subject isolation that you just can’t get with an aps-c camera. And the good wide angles with little distortion. Full frame still has a place outside of the studio.
But of course what I really want is the a99. With the full frame benefits, PLUS faster burst rate and all the technological goodies in the a77!
Awesome~ But then I will be getting my A850 + Grip this weekend… >.<"
Max. ISO 16,000?! I sense poor high ISO performance. 🙁
I hope it’s not going to be an A900 disaster…
You sense poor ISO? Why so?
Everyone who have tseted this camera said very good ISO performance per Andrea.
The A900 is a disaster…?
The price is 1650 and 1700 for body only orange7 and orange77 😀 so cheap!
It’s with lens, not body only.
I hate these new zooms, you can’t use them with a matte box:(
Assuming we’re talking about an internally zooming lens, what is the limitation on using a mattebox? You just set the flags for the widest focus length you plan on using.
Dedicated button for pop-up flash somehow dissapointing.
er, why? You do realise most A700 users never use the pop-up flash? Direct flash is a no-no.
Deeper they hide it the better. ;]
It’s actually not that easy to press. It’s quite firm.
Well, I wish my A900 had a built in flash. Having to buy a second external flash just for triggering is obnoxious.
Carl, you can buy PT04-S radio triggers from ebay for about $30. They fit the Sony hotshoe and flashes. They work great up to about 30 feet and trigger the hvl58amno problem.
The trigger even has a sync port so you can plug into your a900 and leave the hotshoe free for something else if you want.
A way nicer solution that using a popup flash to trigger flashes.
huh? Why do you need to trigger studio flash using another flash? I bought a radio trigger off eBay for peanuts.
@SonyA77: He didn’t say it was for studio flashes. He probably means regular off-shoe flashes.
I might have to look into those. I actually thought they were more expensive than that.
Yeah, it’s a much nicer and cheaper solution than using popup flash.
The triggers you want are PT04-S (the S is for Sony. There are also PT04C and PT04N.. no prizes for guessing those)
The max sync is 1/200. Not quite up to the max of the a900, but close enough to use in daylight imo.
I think manual release of flash (as it is on A700) is the best solution.
Thanks for posting this.
I’ve used the Minolta brand since a score ago.
Have to say that I was hoping this model would look less plastic/toy like, and was surprised it looked so squarish with the ‘off’ font for 77.
Never have liked plastic bodies in any of the camera lines… you have nice heavy metal lenses on plastic shells that look like they will snap under weight. [I know hidden mag underneath.]
Anyway, this is the style now, but there are some cameras that look less plastic like and the a900 was nice looking [even with its odd top people hated]
Maybe I need to wait to see in person, but the swivel screen and more plastic parts they have the more ‘breakable’ parts and ‘cheap’ feeling it gives to the camera.
Looking at replacing my camera so we will have to see.
Again, thanks for your post… you dont make the camera.
the body is magnesium. as far as i can remember magnesium is a metal and not plastic.
The body is megnesium alloy, so it should feel good quality with no creaks etc. Apart from the screen on an arm, I don’t see any “weak looking” parts really. The dials and switches all seem fairly compact and low profile.
And also, you can turn the screen away to face the body and hide/protect it if you are in a rough environment. The EVF can be used to adjust settings etc.
NT
@David – Thanks, your right it probably will feel good.
I have a mental block for the very old days of metal and metal when you had to be a body builder to carry around a camera. lol!
@donkey… your point was well taken, but I was referring to the shell not the inside.
Im an ‘old’ man who likes the feel of metal [on the outside] over the look and feel of plastic.
[Regardless of company… no one makes them like that anymore] 😀
Leica M8/8.2/M9? 🙂 They make them.. just they are slightly expensive. S2 is tank like too.. and designers masterpiece in same time.
What I don’t see, and most probably isn’t there: the metering-mode dial.
But I guess, like the A700 did, you can have it by default on Multi-Segment (Multi-Zone) metering, and for spot-metering push the Multi-Selector button? CW-metering never used by me. BR.
Correct there is none. It’s selected in the Fn menu, but you can re-assign one of the buttons to be for metering.
Which button then, the “?” button? There is no “C” button. Using the “?” button for that is more useful than a sort of help I think. Anyway, as said, I mostly used a push on the A700 center Multi-Selector button for Spot-metering. BR.
No, the ? button can’t be reassigned – of all the buttons I was hoping that one could be. But the other buttons like WB, ISO etc, can be reassigned. The Focus magnifier can only be switched between smart teleconverter and 100% magnification though.
ahh no cup holder for my coffee 🙁
i wonder that User Interface it use. same as a700/a850/a900 type, or newer User Interface like a55, a580? or totally new ?
They’ll probably want a similar UI to the A5xx so it is familiar to users moving up a model. Probably helps with development of the firmware to keep them similar too.
I hope it’s more like the A700 and similars 🙂
But let’s see on Wednesday, at least I hope to see some screenshots of menus etc. BR.
Yes there will be. 😉
You can actually set the cycle options – so when you press DISP, you can still get the “classic” style screen, in addition to a whole bunch of others, like live histogram, meter, LV disp with all the info, “clean” LV image too.
NT
OK, sounds good! BR.
That’s great Andrea. Now post some FF rumors! 😀
I’m confused now. What’s the price of the A77? 1000$ or 1700$?
1000$ body only, 1700$ with the 16-50. But I think that’s gonna be very different in different parts of the world, one of the downparts od living in Europe is the price od electronic equipment. 😉
I was shocked because of this article http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr3-a7765-and-nex-75n-availability-in-asia-with-price/
1950$, it says – that’s too much. With 1000$ I could be happy even with the 1:1 conversion in EUR
Agree, the price in Euro will at least equal the Dollar prices I’m afraid . .
Again, regarding the price…
The a77 will be (for the moment at least), the best APS-C camera on the market. So really, expecting it to be LESS than a 7d or d7000 is quite unreasonable.
The 7d is 2 years old now, the sensor is even older and if the video/AF rumours about the a77 are true, the a77 will outperform the 7D in almost every aspect.
So expecting it to be better, newer *AND* cheaper is unreasonable really. Just some food for thought.
You are right, but the expensive DSLRs need pentaprism & mirrorflip mechanics which is not cheap. I’m not sure how much it is compared to a good EVF.
But if you look at the A77 as an EVIL camera the comparable cameras are all below 1000$. So it’s not easy to find the right place for the A77 – maybe somewhere in the middle
The problem is that regardless of it being “the best”, which is subjective anyway, it will have a Sony badge.
The fact is that if I was a new dSLR user spending 1000+USD, I would want a “safe” brand with plenty of lenses, accessories and support. A brand that most web forums and reviewers, plus magazines, are telling me to buy.
Sony can make the best thing since sliced bread, but it needs to be CHEAP when you are up against established brands and cameras such as the D7000.
The A55/A580 are great cameras, but the Nikon D5xxx and Canon 5xx/600D still knock the crap out of it for sales.
I was using Minolta, and in 2008 I bought my Sony branded A700 blind, knowing it would be good. And never regretted that. Still happy with it. I did look at other brands, but no, didn’t like those, except for the higher priced types maybe. W.r.t. A580. I had the chance to use it during about 2 weeks, end of 2010. I agree, A580 picture quality and noise performance was (very) good. For that, a great camera. But I didn’t like the viewfinder and the controls and handling, especially live-view modes were not my cup of tea. And I missed some button functions the A700 had/has. I wouldn’t buy an A580 now either (and I found the A55 too small). Went back to ‘good old’ solid A700 (2nd body after 1st one had ‘camera error’ and couldn’t be repaired) 🙁
In case a good 2nd hand A700 wouldn’t have been available at that time, I might have bought the Sony A850/A900 or probably a N…n despite the (DT) glass I have for Alpha mount. But, I almost certainly will buy the A77 when available 🙂 Sorry for long story. BR.
Edit: my point, there should have been more A7xx, A8xx and even A9xx ‘prosumer’ cameras available I think, and less A2xx, A3xx, A5xx’s. IMO, last year there was a too large ‘gap’ between the A5xx series and the FF cameras. Let’s await the A65, A77 and SLT FF cameras next year. It’s getting interesting!
Well, there’s so many of entry level cameras for two simple reasons:
1) Most people buy entry level, not prosumer cameras. They simply can’t afford them but still want something looking like a pro gear.
2) Sony builds it’s line up from ground up, not the other way around, so first we had entry level which already got like… 3 generations, than we got bit more advanced cameras meeting 2nd generation last year and meanwhile there was only one generation of prosumer cameras released long ago.
Ad 1) That might be right, but from experience I see most people buying cheaper cameras also go for smaller ones (DSLR? Far too large!), they mostly go for the ‘bridge’ type of cameras. Unless they indeed like to look like a pro as you mentioned.
Ad 2) The A700 successor took too long, and maybe an A6xx and another newer A7xx (A750?) was missing . . .
Well, most people go with compacts anyway according to market study – but IMO it’s only a good thing. Thanks to this we don’t have an option to convert RAW into JPG with pink horses frame. 😉 Most people don’t need DSLRs anyway – there’s way too much trouble with them.
Small cameras with interchangeable lenses because of this still need to watch out – not to get caught into a place where they mix disadvantages of compacts with disadvantages of SLRs. (I guess Pentax Q went this way, and most likely Nikon mirrorless system will go)
“Ad 2) The A700 successor took too long, and maybe an A6xx and another newer A7xx (A750?) was missing…” – that’s 100% true. But… what can one do. Sony took a risky tactic and some people left the system because of this, but I doubt they didn’t know it when making such decision.
On a good side though – they will have a big hit in market with A77.
Maybe. But historically, Sony products have never been cheap. And I disagree that they should price the new dSLT cameras cheaply.
Having price as your main selling point is very risky. As soon as competitors lower their price, you have to lower yours too in order to keep your advantage. You also then become the “cheap” manufacturer, and that’s a bad label to have. People perceive cheap things as worse quality, inferior etc.
The best strategy is to keep making great cameras and to make themselves different to the other guys. Keep adding new features and don’t *LET* yourself be compared to others. For instance, if you want 12fps then an a77 is your only choice unless you want to spend 3x more. There is no direct competitor for that feature if you want it. And therefore it’s harder to compare the price, because it depends how much value YOU place on that feature.
The other thing they need to do is to get the good reviews out there. And you do that with great cameras with new features as well as build the lens lineup and 3rd party support. They are doing well – the Zeiss lenses are amazing. Sigma soon adding NEX lenses etc.
The Sony lens lineup right now is fine for the vast majority of shooters. Only if you have very specialist needs (like $6000 ultra telephotos, or architectural specialist tilt-shifts) then the Sony lineup is lacking. For any hobbyist, wedding photographer etc, the Sony lineup is more than ready. The “lens lineup” argument is nothing more than an excuse now.
“We” are all aware of the lens line-up argument that applies if you are a low-mid range user, but the fact remains that Sony is killed by Canikon dominance on the web and in the media because new users are much safer buying the Canikon brand.
The only way you’ll compete is by being significantly cheaper to tempt the “safe” brand buyers away from Canikon. There is no point having the most fantastic camera in the World, if people continue buying a cheaper D7000 instead with a safe Nikon badge and gazillions of lenses.
If you keep your price high as a premium model, you run into the problem of competing with the 7D, D300s type user. These demand a full range of lenses and support. Sony don’t have these, so people choose Canikon again.
There appears to be a Sony bubble that people are trapped in, step outside of it and put yourself into the shoes of the new user. There will be those here that say they chose Sony because of blah blah, but the VAST majority choose Canikon. Sony need to be competitive on price.
@SonyA77, you are probably correct that Sony cannot afford to overprice their new cameras. However, i agree with @David 100%: using price as your marketing argument is very bad. You are commoditizing 4 years of R&D. The best/only way for a “small” newcomer to enter a market dominated by giants is the beat them on a niche, then expand from them. Sony may focus on speed, or high ISO, or whatever their business wargame strategy is, but I’m bet and hope price is not what they rest their strategy on.
A camera with D7000 price and huge appeal for a specific category of photographers will sell well in that category (and from there, their credibility as a major player will grow). If Sony target to wide and use price only as their only differentiating argument, I would be surprised to see them succeed.
“The only way you’ll compete is by being significantly cheaper to tempt the “safe” brand buyers” – it’s not as much about being significantly cheaper as it is in offering better quality for the money.
You can do this in three ways –
1) Producing cheapest camera of it’s segment. Sony tried this with A290, failed.
2) Producing camera with unique features. What david suggests, A77 will be first on this path.
3) Building solid product offering few features unseen on that market for it’s price, but generally being equal in price-point to it’s own market competition. A200 at the time was in this group, now the A55 is. This also works, but requires a lot of positive advertisement cause otherwise you may end up like Pentax – niche company – something Sony doesn’t want to be.
Going in a patch of “cheapest stuff for sale!” is definitely a last thing you’d like to do. Especially if you are a big company like Sony who actually care about PR. It also eliminates you from pro-market and significantly limits sales of accessories like lenses or flash units. No photography company can afford luring only customers who care about price.
“Sony may focus on speed, or high ISO, or whatever their business wargame strategy is, but I’m bet and hope price is not what they rest their strategy on.”
– Exactly.
Only… ISO-quality label is already taken by Nikon (and Pentax who fights for that too).
Pascal and Skywalker said it perfectly.
Trying to compete on price is silly. You end up ruining your profit margins. And it’s always possible for competition to lower their prices too.
Plus the stigma that comes with cheap stuff. People won’t want it. And once you become established as the cheap company, you’ll find it VERY hard to re-brand yourself if you want to make anything more expensive.
IMO, Sony are doing the right thing. The a77 will be an awesome camera, and the sr5 rumor posted last week said they are really going to try and market this time!
Sony also need their cameras in the hands of influentiatial people. Ken Rockwell is an idiot, but he is also the first google result for almost everything photography related.. yet he has only reviewed one Sony camera. He said the a55 EVF wasn’t good enough and the button layout was not customisable, not enough quick access buttons etc.
Well the a77 addresses both of those, so woudn’t a good review from him be great? Same with dpreview and all the other big websites. Plus get some deals going with stores to promote and push Sony stuff.
I am still sharing all your informations about A77 on my blog
http://atributos-1.blogspot.com/2011/08/sony-a77-esta-para-chegar.html
Thank you
What for you need to put links here to every post on your site? we don’t even speak… Spanish if that’s the language you use.
He speaks portuguese…
“Only… ISO-quality label is already taken by Nikon (and Pentax who fights for that too).”
Aren’t they using Sony sensors? At least some models with good high ISO performance (DXO-Mark).
So IMO Sony, as the Exmor sensor inventor and manufacturer, should have the knowledge on how to use and how to process the RAW sensor image data for the most crisp and noise-free pictures . . .
I’m going to love this camera….too bad it looks exactly like a Canon body…I would have preferred a nice, original vintage look…Very ugly “modern” body…like a Chrysler or Buick…but I will overlook it for the specs…but God…what an unoriginal body design…why do you want to look like Canon Sony? You made the way for cool vintage bodies…what a shame…
The focusing mode dial or switch on the front below the lens seems to be put in a position that you might easily unintentionally change it with your left hand when you zoom. Hope this has been thought through.
Any word on the amount of shutter noise?
Has anyone heard anything about Thunderbolt hiding under the remote flap?
http://sonya77.com/does-the-a77-have-thunderbolt/
Maybe just the flash-sync port under there?
I think its a Hot Sync port for Studio flashes like the old a700.
No thunderbolt. No point either as the memory cards don’t even saturate USB 2.0
Snap! Where did the A65 photos go from d-slt? CAN ANYONE UPLOAD THEM TO IMAGESHACK OR SO PLEASE? Thanks!
BUT still no word about IQ other than “on a high level”. What about dynamic range, what about high ISO noise?
More specific infos about this would be very much appreciated!
Wait 2 more days…
Hi Mike,
you seem to know more than we do. So my question is: why waiting two more days if you had (or have?) it in your hands? You do have experience about the IQ of the A77, don’ t you?
Because no images can be released yet, that’s why. It would be a big violation of NDA. And if I did or did not actually have one in my hands, I would probably be shooting and making comparisons to other cameras in my stable, but cannot release details yet. I could not discuss pros or cons until the final firmware as well. 😉
It seems that there’s no D-range button for the A77!!!
“M” noticed that the “the A77 als does not have the usefull dedicated D-range button that A550/580 have.”
I never missed this button on my A700, no worries.
Had the A700 on DR+ (advanced auto) all the time (effective for JPEG only). Hope the A77 will have this DR+ setting too 🙂
For the occasional situation I needed higher DR setting, I used the quick-menu via the Fn button. RAWs must be post-processed anyway for this.
It has DRO Auto and level 1-5 but no DRO+. HDR goes up to 6EV.
DRO-Auto might give the same result as DR+ (Advanced Auto) in the A700 maybe?
A700 had: DR standard (worked even for RAW), DR Advanced Auto (DR+) and Advanced Level (1~5).
You can re-assign one of the other buttons to be dedicated to the DR function if it’s that frequently used by you.
I’m sure they can’t price a77 because they are competing Nikon and Canon to get a more part of DSLR market. I hope the price will be around 1000$ all over the world after a couple of monthes of announcement. 😀
I just read it in most recent (SR5) rumor:
“As for the D-range button, the buttons on the A77 are massively customizable, you can assign a different function to each! And the smart teleconverter can be switched to a 100% live view magnification.”
That’s fine :-))
This still says the 1,8/50 has OSS, but the picture shown before here didnt show the words OSS on the 1,8/50. So does it have OSS, or not ?
Is it just me… or the image with the flash on top is showing that the EVF is not protruding enough like the A33/A35/A55 ??!!
The LCD screen is quite thick to allow the 3-axis swivelling… So it would be hard to put eye on the EVF if it doesn’t stick out much.
I wish the EVF could be slided in/out… but the pictures don’t confirm anything like that.
Yup, the EVF does not stick out like on the A33/55. My one big gripe. 🙁
Gripe? The protruding EVF of the A55/A33 certainly looked odd. I am glad that it’s now improved.
Of course it does not matter if it looks “odd” or not at all. These cameras are not made for staring at them but for using them. So, it does matter if you can look easily into the viewfinder or not. The A33/55 are just perfect in this respect and it is a BIG gripe that Sony now makes such a mistake with the A77 design.
I am also a little bit concerned about flip out screen?
1) not sure from pictures but hope it will not obstruct the way to VF like in other Sony models. we’ll see.
2) why they didn’t make it like on EOS 60D? much more simple and convinient ..
I just checked my A700. From frame of viewfinder (not the VF’s glass) to the LCD-screen plane it’s about 6~7mm. To the glass it’s a 3~4mm more. Let’s say, a total of about 10mm. This never hindered me.
Is it a bit more for the A77? From the photographs I would say no, or just a little more.
as far as i can remember there where rumors at SAR which state more than 1000 shots battery life, when did this change to the 500 shots mentioned now? (or do i miss / mix something here?)
… maybe there are still around 1000 shots with evf-only and the 500 are with lcd on (as in http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-hot-first-a77-commercial-on-youtube/) i am a bit confused – whats correct?
it appears the pictures at the d-slt.de site have been removed.
It was not intended I guess to publish these A77 photos already . . . . ?
What are all the options on the top dial?
Do read just 1 page before this through the ‘Older Comments’ link.
1000+ shots is with the Battery Grip – duh!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/robellisphotography/6070734399/in/pool-1706137@N21/
Sony a77 size comparison, its bigger than expected!
16Bit RAW Output??
Tat is a Big Question.
The button layout looks a bit tough to get used to. Not like Nikon or Canon that lists plenty of buttons in a straight line so you don’t need to feel around for them. The size looks great though I probably would have preferred the swivel screen from the Canon 60D or Nikon D5100