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Sony Announces New Camera Models   by Teddy Leonard

It's the end of August and time for Nikon to announce their new camera models. This year Sony has stepped in early to steal some of Nikon's thunder, announcing new camera models and showing they're serious about carving out a niche in the DSLR market space.

Camera news has been a muted of late in the wake of production disruptions due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Manufacturers are making a special effort this year to let everyone know that supply disruptions are a thing of the past.

SLT-A77

The big gun in Sony's lineup is the SLT-A77, which sports weather resistant magnesium-alloy body. Inside it's packing an APS-C 24.5MP CMOS sensor, letting Sony briefly claim the highest resolution among APS-C cameras. Sony has really worked on the fit and finish issues on the A77 to give a more hefty, professional feel.

Advances in data throughput allow the A77 fire 12 full frames per second in burst mode with shutter lag times as short as 0.05 seconds. In Twilight Mode the A77 provides a six-layer HDR bracket exposure and merges them into a single, optimized file.

Sony has also bumped up the video capabilities to 1080p video at 60 fps and support for 24 fps. The video codec is the new AVCHD Progressive which they claim raises the recording bit rate. Sony also boasts the A77 can shoot video segments up to 29 minutes in length.

Another interesting feature is a translucent mirror that doesn't flip up during shooting, a modification that allows continuous auto-focus during burst mode or video. The feature was first introduced in the A55 and improved in the A77.

One feature videographers will appreciate is the dual-hinged, three-way tilt shift LCD, a feature Canon shooters will envy outdoors on sunny days. It also sports stereo mics, but inexplicably left out manual overrides.

Another feature is something called 3D Sweep Panorama, images that can be played back on 3D compatible HDTV's.

The improvements are clearly aimed at Canon, with a price point similar to the EOS 7D and competitive specs. By the time it hits the streets with a kit lens, it should bump in just below the 7D's price point. A worthy adversary for the Canon and Nikon lines.

A65

The A65 is a pared-down consumer version of the A77. The burst mode is reduced to 10 pictures instead of 12, with a less advanced auto-focus system.

The LCD has a simplified tilt system and the body is plastic instead of metal. Around $999 with an 18-55 kit lens.

NEX-5N and NEX-7

The NEX series is aimed at the point-and-shoot crowd who want a lighter camera with pro features, but without the bulk of SLRs.

Bizarrely, Sony priced the NEX series in line with their SLRs, with the NEX-7 bumping in at $1,350 with a lens.

The market will ultimately determine if that was a wise move, but it might be smart to hold off on a NEX purchase and see if the price drops in the next three months.

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