Lee Yuan Sheng
08-31-2010, 05:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyslta55/' target='_blank'>http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonyslta55/</a><br /><br /></div><p><p><em>"Sony's latest interchangeable lens cameras, the SLT Alpha A33 and A55 represent a significant technological milestone - not just for Sony but for the enthusiast camera market as a whole. The company has rejected the traditional DSLR design and instead created a hybrid that, like a compact camera, is from the ground up built around live view, but one that is also capable of offering full-time DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus. The combination means they can offer features such as phase-detection AF during movie recording and extremely fast continuous shooting rates (10 frames per second on the A55), previously unthinkable at this price."</em></p></p><p><img height="268" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1282655229.usr15670.jpg" style="border: 0;" width="450" /></p><p>Sony's finally done something interesting and different with the SLT cameras with their pellicle mirrors; instead of having the mirror reflect a minor portion of the light to a optical viewfinder, it instead uses the light for a phase detection autofocus system. This allows Sony to implement a viewfinder that is larger and brightter than that of their previous live view attempts, allows for AF with all lenses in the Alpha lineup, while using the more time-tested phase detect AF system. DPReview liked the camera plenty much, and the new 16.2 megapixel sensor looks good. </p><p>We now have three systems on the market for live view AF; Sony's implementation, Panasonic's improvements on the traditional contrast detection system, and Fujifilm's <a href="http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/99467/fujifilm-s-hybrid-af-explained.html" target="_blank">hybrid AF system</a>. It should be interesting to see which method is the more successful one, both technically and commercially.</p>