Image Quality:
Very impressive. Super resolution, low noise, high dynamic range.
The EOS70D is comparable in most situations. However, the exposure was the 70D often as beside the A77 II. I think the main reason is that the A77 II always face detection was active through the transparent mirror and accordingly the exposure better tunes on faces.
In tests the sensors of Sony (which are also installed in the Nikon DSLRs) are always praised for significantly higher dynamic range. This can be seen not necessarily as much in everyday situations, but if you by RAW exposure corrected you realize that the Sony here significantly more reserves than the EOS70D.
Display / Live View (display as a viewfinder to use as a compact camera):
Both have a foldable screen, a very important feature because I like to make pictures for me over / under head or other unusual perspectives.
The display itself is a good size and well resolved in two, the Sony is a little easier to read through the additional white pixels in sunlight, also the brightness is automatically reduced. adjusted according to ambient light. Therefore small increase compared to the 70D, but the great advantage of a77II is of course in the SLT-principle: The transparent mirror are in LiveView exactly the same functions as the viewfinder mode available. So the fast AF incl. Tracking, video recording, etc. Its operation is completely identical regardless of whether you use the viewfinder or display, changeover is automatic. by a small sensor on the viewfinder. This is technically a DSLR like the EOS70D course impossible.
Viewfinder:
Due to the SLT concept has the A77 II an electronic viewfinder (EVF), so no optical viewfinder (OVF) as a conventional DSLR, for example the EOS70D.
It is an OLED viewfinder with 2.3 million pixels, allegedly again better than the. In the old A77, in any case better than in the A55 or A58
Disadvantage: It's just not so directly and immediately as an optical viewfinder, but just a display.
Advantage:
- 100% image coverage
- Size about how Vollvormat DSLR
- The viewfinder shows the image in consideration of the selected exposure, white balance; Effects (eg black / white) etc.
- There may be additional information is displayed (AF points, facial / eye detection, histogram, etc.)
- You can use it not only as a viewfinder, but also for playing back the photos, that you do not always take the camera down to look at the picture. Even in bright sunlight, you can evaluate images much better, because the resolution and color reproduction of the OLED display is very good, and no ambient light disturbs.
When you (also like me) optical SLR viewfinder was used, you will need to get used to it. This is, however, quite fast, and I certainly do not want back. The benefits outweigh easy.
Autofocus:
Here worlds provides the A77 II course more than the 70D or any other competitor in this class:
- 79-AF points including 15 cross-type sensors: this way, the points are located very close to each other which, among other things also enables eye detection, su
- Extensive tracking options: Through the transp. Mirror on the one hand, the AF system is always in operation, on the other hand, the image is evaluated, ie to prosecute not only the AF sensors can be used but also contrast and color information of the image sensor.
- Face Detection: When the camera detects a face, the camera chooses a lie in this area AF point and focuses on. Up to 8 faces can be taught which are then brought into focus with priority. I do not use that facial recognition itself is ingenious but because therefore etc. not just any tree in focus but the face.
- Eye recognition: The principle here is similar to facial recognition: The camera analyzes the image and used for focusing an AF point which lies on the next to the camera pupil. If she fails she uses the normal face recognition.
That works out to be good, but not as fully automatically as the face recognition. Instead, you must always press a (customizable) button. It would be desirable if the camera is always focused on the anterior eye, if not the face.
- Another new feature is the AF Range Limiter: Here you can simply restrict on the front and rear control dial AF workspace. Thus, one can easily avoid the AF is between distracted by things in the foreground or background. At sports events very useful and very easy and well implemented.
- All AF functions are equally in the viewfinder mode and the live view fully available, which of course is awesome and inconceivable with a conventional DSLR.
- Smile and there, but that's useless, because I do prefer 10 sequential shots and find me the best out ...
Speaking of serial images:
Sony boasts 12 frames / sec, but but this is a special program with no manual controls. The panel appears to have always set here to 3.5 because they can not keep up mechanism as soon.
The normal, full manual controls for shutter mode provides the highest level of 8 frames / sec, which is of course also very fast and is really fun, especially in contrast to older models of the buffer is really big (57 JPGs).
The AF-tracking works in all shooting modes, including Live View, there are no restrictions.
To compare with the re-70D: The continuous shooting speed is 7 frames / sec also perfectly adequate, the buffer capacity of approx 30 images (JPG). However, the AF is to use only the viewfinder mode for continuous shooting and bezügl the possibilities. AF tracking, AF-range limiter etc are also less well or not available.
Video:
As mentioned above, the A77 II movies in the viewfinder mode in bright conditions or when a heavy lens it has helpful. Again, the A77 II full AF incl. Face recognition, etc Motiverfolgung available. How fast is the AF adjusts so you can adjust the menu. The audio level also, microphone input is present.
Since the last firmware update also recording in XAVC format is possible.
But since I hardly use the video function, I can not much to say.
When 70D there is video not use the viewfinder, but by the improved AF in Live View works that focus on videos now as well as with the SLTs.
Image Stabilization:
The A77 II has - like all Sony SLTs - the image stabilization in the camera body.
Advantage is also the lenses without built-in stabilizer (eg, fixed focal length lenses or better) can be stabilized.
Unlike the older models of the stabilizer is active even when half-pressing the shutter button.
Operation / handling:
Both the A77 II and the 70D are very good in the hand, size is almost identical, the Sony is a little easier.
Very good: The Fn menu can be put together user-defined. Thus, the most frequently used commands are easily accessible. Many buttons can be configured differently, also on the mode dial, you can store 3 custom programs.
The EOS 70D has less to offer here, but scores with a touchscreen which should be intuitive especially for beginners.
Entry-friendliness:
Various motif programs (portrait, landscape etc) bring both cameras, but the A77 II goes a step further and recognize the car + - mode, the scene automatically.
(This is just back to the transparent mirror of the image sensor constantly provides you with the image and thus the camera can evaluate the complete picture.)
How reliable that works I can not say because I use mostly A, S, M or P, however.
Furthermore, on board is the automatic. Cropping, ie the camera cuts (in certain situations) the image automatic. to a good composition (rule of thirds etc) to obtain. But are always stored both images, so original and tailored by the camera.
The one may smile at as a gimmick but it often brings remarkably good results. Remains nue in JPG mode available, so inactive when RAW is active.
Other:
- GPS: - In contrast to the a77 a77 II has unfortunately not have an integrated GPS receiver more. Now there is WiFi + NFC to transfer images directly to the phone and remotely control the camera using the phone. Viewfinder is then quasi the phone.
- Sweep Panorama - This is fun and gives surprisingly great results: Simply hold down the shutter button and swing. The camera takes very fast, a lot of pictures in a row (while swings) and offset the automatic. The subsequent joining by engraving software is eliminated. Works extremely easy and very good.
- HDR - Here, the camera takes 3 pictures with different exposures and charged it to an HDR image. In Advanced Auto mode the camera detects Auto. when HDR would be useful, but you can of course choose manually. You almost never need however.
(The 70D has now incidentally also an HDR mode, however, is quite immature ...)
- DRO - Here Camera lightens dark (if necessary) areas in order to give them more drawing. Useful, always on Auto.
- Multi-frame Noise reducion: Here the camera 6 or 10 (new) makes pictures in quick succession and charged it to an image to the noise reducing. Bring 1-2 ISO levels, thus an image with multi-frame NR at ISO 6400 noise is from her as about ISO 2000 without MFNR.
Even if the camera the images extremely fast receives succession, the subject is not allowed to move naturally. So for no flash-in-Museum optimal for children playing, of course not. Can one now and then save the tripod.
- Lens Correction: Many Sony lenses distortion, vignetting, CA are corrected regarding etc Camera internally.. Only weird is the distortion by default, you should enable quiet. Works very well.
- Focus Peaking: I love the function now: In order to facilitate manual focusing (at Macro shots useful) the sharp areas highlighted. So you can very precisely focusing. (This also works in video mode)
- Zebra: This overexposed points (threshold adjustable) are already before the triggering or in video mode marked to indicate a possible overexposure.
- In M mode is still available ISO Auto. That means you can specify Aperture and shutter speed and the camera selects the appropriate ISO. The range for the automatic. ISO setting can be adjusted very easily. Can the EOS 70D also.
- Built-in wireless flash feature for off-camera flash
Criticisms:
- The transparent mirror light costs up to a third of the aperture setting. That is, with the same exposure would the A77 II at ISO 640 so noise like a camera with the same image sensor but without SLT at 800 ISO. A few years ago (before I bought my first SLT), I had the once examined in more detail and with appropriate Nikon or Sony NEX - compared models (JA identical Sony sensors, but without a mirror and folding mirror).
The differences are only marginal and irrelevant in practice.
- The body is already quite large, a slightly smaller sister model (A66?) Would be quite interesting, but please ... A Mount
And why not a7 II or a6000?
- E-Mount: A7 and A6000 have a lens system E Mount. At comparable size, price and weight an E-Mount Objetiv about 1 aperture is worse. Clear, advantage is that can be used by the short back focus lenses from Canon, Leica etc overthrow (via an adapter) and the Internet is indeed full of people focusing on the A7 and use their existing high-quality lenses so. But that is not the case for me. So I stay with A-Mount.
- Height / Weight: The A7 II or A6000 is of course much smaller than the A77 II That's great, but I must say: Even with a Universal Zoom is also a a7 not easy and I is the A77 II simply better. hand of the total combination Body + lens. As I said, a a66 would be optimal, but the small E-mount cameras with the big lens it sinds not for me.
And while large image sensors are installed (and that is the intention), the lenses are large. Therefore, the reduction drive is the body not my case - at least if the body then is as small as the A7 and A6000.
- Autofocus: Here the A6000 is also already enormous (especially for Mirrorless), but the A77 II again puts one on top, both bezügl. Subject Tracking,. By AF points covered viewing area as well as the other AF options
Small example: If in the 77 II AF mode to AF-C is (ie continuously) and you press the joystick, the camera immediately keen on the center AF sensor and keeps the focus as long as you hold down the joystick. Very handy, does not go with the A6000 or a7 series. So again advantage a77 II.
- The usage of the menus etc with the jog dial with a button in the middle is made not bad but I think it's still cumbersome and fummeliger than the joystick of the A77 II.
- OK, one thing I have the a7 II but leave: The Vollvormatsensor is an APS-C-format as the A77 II course clearly superior at high ISO ... here you have to stop to weigh ...
Conclusion:
Simply an amazing part, details see above ;-)
