Image Quality:
Absolutely top, well Sony has remained 16 MP resolution at moderate (but perfectly adequate). This is the noise performance very well.
Live View:
By the SLT concept Live View and viewfinder operation is completely implemented seamlessly and equal rights. Ie all functions are in the viewfinder, as in the LV mode available.
In a conventional DSLR, however, certain functions are in principle only in the viewfinder at your disposal (eg Phase Detect AF, Full-time AF), while others only in the LV (eg face recognition, movie recording ...).
You can switch between the viewfinder and LV automatically goes in the A57. Could not be better.
The display is large, well, foldable and controls the brightness depending on the ambient light automatically. (Keeping in case of extreme sun naturally indeed can use the viewfinder for image viewing).
Autofocus:
15 fields, quickly - as you would expect from a good DSLR (identical to a55 and a65).
By the SLT concept but there are also here a few features:
Face detection helps to find the most appropriate AF area, the location tracking function can track designs on the basis of color / contrast, even when the subject was covered by between times short. Both can occasionally be helpful (but you need not have), which is the fast PD-AF incl. Above functions but also in Live View available without restriction is awesome (with conventional DSLRs one has indeed with the slow contrast AF satisfied).
Smile also there but that's useless gimmick in our store.
Moving subjects:
Sony boasts 10 frames / sec at full resolution (12 with reduced) and AF tracking.
However, the settings here are very limited because it is a special program. Full manually beinflussbar is 6 frames / sec - mode. The funzt very good and fast, incl. Full-time AF. And: Even in LiveView!
Clearly noticeable here is the faster processor and larger memory buffer compared to a55. (At the A55 it could take some very long until the enormous amounts of data - especially in RAW - were flushed first, and as long as the camera was blocked This is now noticeably faster everything..)
Video:
As mentioned above, the A57 also filming in the viewfinder mode in bright conditions or when a heavy lens it has helpful. Again, the a57 full AF (see above) are available.
Note, however, that many older Sony lenses (or even Sigma, Tamron, Minolta) use the camera's internal AF motor. That's a bit noisy and therefore may also be heard in the video. Anyone who uses the A57 much video should a modern lens with built. Use engine.
Image Stabilization:
The A57 has - unlike most of its competitors - the stability in the body.
Has both its advantages and disadvantages:
With the built-in stabilizer all lenses, including primes will have the most no built stabilizer, stabilized.
Disadvantage is that it only works when triggered and not while looking through the viewfinder. At high focal lengths, it can therefore be shaky.
Viewfinder:
Due to the SLT-A57 concept has an electronic viewfinder (EVF), so no optical viewfinder (OVF) as a classic DSLR.
The OVF is of course second to none because there's nothing faster and more direct than are directly (through the mirror) to look into things and speed resolution on the subject.
The EVF is the A57 in terms of speed and resolution but at a very high level, large (about as full-frame DSLR) and bright. It is slightly better than the A55 but not nearly at the level of the A65 / A77.
Consequently, 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. Nice to look at even in bright sunlight to take pictures.
In addition to the picture already looks ahead to the selected exposure, white balance, etc.
There are facilitating two major Adjustable to wear glasses to look through the viewfinder.
The desired display in the viewfinder and display are now separately configurable.
Operation / entry-friendliness:
Already described above, continuously receives the image sensor yes Signal (ie screen), characterized the camera is able to evaluate the complete picture. The Sony used to detect and automatic to the scene. the right motive program (portrait, landscape, night portrait, HDR, etc.) to select.
For beginners this is certainly helpful, but I used mostly A, S or P so I can not say much to how solid the autom. Detection works.
In portrait mode, the camera cuts the image automatically if desired, there is also a help button with which one gets div. Explanations.
I need everything not, I find important:
All all important settings are shown on the right and left of the image and also right there you can find / change settings through the Fn key. That is perfect.
Some keys can be remapped to user defined shortcut to get to certain functions. Optimal.
Other:
GPS - In contrast to the a55 a57 unfortunately has no integrated GPS receiver more, now there only from the A65. Too bad!
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.
The 3D version of the Sweep Panorama I can not test since I have no 3D TV unfortunately.
- 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.
Nice to have, but you need hardly
- DRO - Here Camera lightens dark (if necessary) areas in order to give them more drawing. Useful.
- Multi-frame Noise reducion: Here, the camera takes 6 pictures in quick succession and charged it to an image to the noise reducing. Bring good an ISO level, so an image with multi-frame NR at ISO 6400 noise is from her as about ISO 3000th
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.
- Lens Correction: Many Sony lenses distortion, vignetting, CA are corrected regarding etc Camera internally.
- Manual focusing - In order to facilitate manual focusing (at Macro shots sometimes quite useful), the sharp areas highlighted in color on request. I have come to love for macro shooting This function because there the depth of field is usually very low and if you are not working with tripod one gets quickly out of the focal plane. with the Focus Peaking function sees imme rfarbig marked where my sharp area is straight. This is very helpful!
Criticisms:
- In contrast to its predecessor, no GPS
- The 3D Sweep Panorama to spendieren an extra position on the dial is a waste, as a user-defined storage would make more sense to the likely least use 3D
- The OLED viewfinder of the A65 is again significantly better than the A57 viewfinder
- The ISO Auto range is fixed at 100-3200, would be nice if you could configure lower and upper limit
- In M mode, not ISO-Auto is available. I think it would be helpful sometimes when I can just pretend aperture and time, and the camera selects the appropriate ISO.
Compared to a65:
OLED viewfinder GPS and speak for the a65. But the 24 MP resolution are exaggerated and have to be (at least at high ISO) paid for with higher noise. In some detail, the A57 and also some more modern (Portrait-cutting, Clear Zoom ...). Since the LCD viewfinder of the A57 is not very good and GPS essential, I would personally recommend the A57.
Conclusion:
Sensational camera with a few minor weaknesses.
The A57 for months # 1 on the chip leaderboard (DSLR to 1000) has received and the EISA Award 2012/2013 Best SLR (and div. Other awards), is understandable.
Lens Tip:
For starters I wüde the kit with 18-135mm lens SAM picures. (Meaningful focal length range, reasonably quiet, supported by the lens correction of a57, inexpensive).
The typical standard kit 18-55 mE makes no sense.
Addendum 06.05.2013:
As great as the A57 is also:
The A58 is a slightly scaled-down, cheaper alternative 100 is available. No, it is not the successor, although it offers through the OLED viewfinder, better subject tracking, among other things a number of advantages. sa my review for a58.
