Sony SLT-A99
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We have collected 10 reviews of the Sony SLT-A99. Experts rate Sony SLT-A99 8.4/10. Reviewsor.com helps you find reviews, best prices, user reviews of the Sony SLT-A99 and Sony Digital cameras.
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Sony SLT-A99 Reviews
Sony SLT-A99 review
You wait for ages for a new full-frame SLR and then seven turn up at once. Canon and Nikon refreshed their full-frame ranges in 2012, each releasing three new models priced at around £1,500, £2,500 and £5,000. Sony full-frame cameras have been conspicuously absent since the A900 and A850 were discontinued in 2011, but the A99 marks a bold re-entry. It's priced to compete with the Nikon D800 and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (£2,400). Sony is making a bold statement by pitching it against such esteemed rivals rather than their cheaper full-frame siblings, but the A99 has the specs to back it up. The substantial magnesium alloy body feels like a premium piece of kit and is covered with buttons and dials. There are dual SDXC card slots, a PC sync socket for external flash triggering, microphone and headphone sockets plus built-in GPS. This SLT may differ significantly from other full-frame cameras, but it's still entering a very competitive market Then there are the features that distinguish Sony's SLT cameras from conventional SLRs. The translucent mirror technology means there's an electronic viewfinder (EVF) rather than an optical one.
Sony A99 Review
The Sony A99 is a 35mm full-frame camera with a Dual AF system and pro-style video features. The Sony A99 has a newly developed 24.3 megapixel full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor, Dual AF System with 19 sensors (including 11 cross sensors) and 102 AF point system (focal plane), ISO range of 50-25600 and 1200-zone Evaluative Metering. Other key features include Full HD 50p progressive movie shooting with non-stop Continuous AF and pro audio, an XGA OLED Tru-Finder with 100% frame coverage, a three-way tiltable 1229k-dot LCD screen, 6fps burst shooting, built-in GPS, weather-resistant magnesium alloy body, and is tested to 200,000 shutter release cycles. Compared to a conventional DSLR camera, Translucent Mirror Technology has a fixed, translucent mirror that splits the optical pathway between the main image sensor and a separate phase-detection autofocus sensor, and offers a simplified mechanical design that enables the A99 to be smaller and lighter than most of its full-frame rivals. The Sony SLT-A99 is available now priced at around £2299 / $2799.
Sony Alpha SLT-A99V review: This camera is a Jack of all trades
I admit, I really didn't like Sony's first full-frame cameras, the DSLR-A900 and its stripped-down sibling, the DSLR-A850. I used to use them as examples of poor noise reduction and for before-and-after examples for the virtues of third-party raw-processing software. But that was almost four years ago, and just before Sony had its "aha!" moment and started churning out excellent sensors, like the one in the Alpha SLT-A99V. The company's flagship (and at least for now, only) full-frame model delivers excellent photos and very good video, has a well-constructed and intelligently designed body, solid performance, and a great feature set. Despite all the excellence, though, there are some caveats to consider before shelling out the not-inconsiderable amount of dough it costs. The photo quality is great -- pretty much what you'd expect for a full-frame camera -- with well-resolved detail, accurate color (as long as you use the Neutral Creative Style setting), and a broad tonal range with very good latitude in the highlights. Though it doesn't have an antialiasing-filter-free model, the sensor in the A99V incorporates a new selectively applied low-pass filter as a compromise for increased ability to resolve detail.
Sony Alpha 99 (SLT-A99V)
The Sony Alpha 99 ($2,799.99 direct, body only) is the company's top-end digital SLR camera. It sports a 24-megapixel full-frame image sensor, and like other Sony SLRs it uses a fixed mirror, which allows for fast autofocus in all shooting modes, and a seamless transition between its eye-level OLED EVF and rear LCD—but it omits the optical viewfinder that many pros expect from a high-end camera. It's an excellent choice for video, as it blows the competition away on focus speed and audio options, but it isn't as well-rounded, or inexpensive, as our Editors' Choice full-frame D-SLR, the Canon EOS 6D. Design and Features When it was introduced, the Alpha 99 was the smallest and lightest full-frame D-SLR on the market, but it has since lost that title to the slightly-smaller EOS 6D. The A99 measures 4.5 by 5.9 by 3.1 inches and weighs about 1.8 pounds; the 6D is 4.4 by 5.7 by 2.8 inches and 1.7 pounds. Its image sensor is the same size as a 35mm film frame, dwarfing the smaller APS-C sensor that is found in most D-SLRs. This is advantageous when using wide-angle lenses, as a smaller sensor leads to a narrower field of view, and also allows you to capture images with a shallower depth of field, so you can create more separation between subject and background.
Sony Alpha SLT-A99 In-Depth Review
The Sony SLT-A99 is the Japanese camera maker's flagship model, aimed squarely at DSLR enthusiasts who will settle for nothing less than a full frame sensor in a rugged body with a plethora of external and customizable controls. It arrives almost four years after its predecessor, the A900, the company's first full frame DSLR. You'd certainly expect significant new features given such a long gap between products and Sony has lost no opportunity to equip the A99 with every bit of electronic expertise they've incorporated into their NEX and SLT models in the interim. Whereas the A900 was a defiantly conventional SLR that would have been immediately familiar to Konica Minolta film-camera users, the A99 is something of a technological tour-de-force. Start with a dual chip AF system, live view focus peaking, tiltable rear LCD, built-in GPS and 1080p60 movie recording plus the ability to output uncompressed video, and the contrast to the stills-only A900 couldn't be more stark aside from the A99's identical 24MP resolution. And then of course, there's the fact that with the A99 Sony has opted for an electronic, versus optical viewfinder.
Hands on: Sony Alpha a99 (Preview)
Many people have been waiting for a Sony Alpha a900 replacement ever since it was first announced all the way back in 2008.That was the last Sony DSLR camera to use a full-frame sensor. Earlier this year, the company confirmed that the next iteration of the full-frame device would use its translucent mirror technology (TMT). So here it is, in the Sony Alpha a99 DSLT.TMT was first introduced a couple of years ago with the Sony Alpha a33 and Sony Alpha a55 DSLTs, and features a fixed, translucent mirror that doesn't flip out of the way as the picture is taken. This has a couple of advantages, including faster continuous autofocus.ExplainedWhat is an SLT? Fixed mirror cameras detailedAs far as many people are concerned SLTs come with a drawback - the need for an electronic viewfinder and the Sony Alpha a99 is the world's first full-frame camera to be equipped with an EVF. With many professionals having their doubts about such devices, Sony knew that it had to get this particularly aspect very, very right. It has produced an XGA OLED Tru-Finder with a high resolution of 2369k dots and offering 100 per cent coverage.
Sony A99 review
Despite its prolific output across its NEX and Alpha lines over the past few years, Sony has taken a long time to unveil a full-frame successor to the revered A900. The models released since then gave indications as to what may expected from any forthcoming flagship model, and now the A99 has materialised it more or less confirms what most people were expecting.One of these things was a strong focus on video recording, in order to rival other video-enabled pro DSLRs. The decision to build the camera on the SLT concept also always appeared to be an inevitable move, and what results is arguably the most individual DSLR-like camera targeted at the professional user. The A99 sports a newly-developed full-frame CMOS sensor, which produces 24.3MP images in the 3:2 aspect ratio. Curiously its resolution is just slightly down on the 24.6MP A900, although Sony is said to have made significant improvements since the A900 to better image quality. The company has, for example, broadened the size of each photodiode for improved sensitivity, and also redesigned the microlenses which sit over the sensor for the same reason.The sensor provides a sensitivity range of 100-25,600 as standard, with extension settings equivalent to ISO's 50, 64 and 80 also on hand.
Sony Alpha A99 (Preview)
The Sony Alpha SLT-A99 is a full-frame interchangeable lens camera aimed at the semi-pro and professional market. Announced in September 2012, it becomes the second full-frame Alpha, following the original A900 four years earlier. Both cameras may share the same 35mm sensor size and essentially the same 24 Megapixel resolution, but they couldn't be more different. Where the old A900 was a traditional DSLR bereft of a movie mode or even Live View, the new A99 employs Sony's SLT design and is packed to the brim with the latest technologies. Like earlier SLT cameras, the A99 uses a fixed semi-reflective mirror which allows most of the light to pass through to the main sensor to provide full-time Live View composition. Meanwhile the remainder of the light is reflected upwards to a traditional phase-detect AF system which allows the SLT models to enjoy fast and confident continuous autofocusing during Live View and movies, something which even the latest DSLRs struggle to achieve. Interestingly the A99 additionally features an array of phase-detect AF points embedded into the actual sensor itself, allowing the camera to offer a new Depth Map AF mode where the photographer can specify a range of distances the AF system should operate in.
Sony Alpha SLT-A99 (Preview)
When Sony offered us an early look at their new SLT-A99V, we bolted down to its Madison Avenue office to give it a try. This will be the first-ever full frame camera to feature a translucent mirror, and with it comes a host of various advantages and disadvantages: The A99 offers full-time, continuous phase-detection autofocus, at the expense of less light hitting the sensor. It's basically the full-frame version of last year's Alpha A77, with similar pros and cons and a much bigger sensor. Alpha-system photographers are sure to be excited about the announcement, since it's the first full-frame camera with an A-mount since the A850, released back in 2009. Sony, however, is positioning the A99 mainly for video capture. It also has the distinction of being one of the smallest full frame interchangeable lens cameras on the market. The A99 will launch in October, and the body will be relatively affordable at $2,800.
Sony SLT-A99 Hands-on (Preview)
It's been almost four years since Sony released its first full-frame DSLR - the A900. It would be hard for anything to exemplify the subsequent developments in camera technology as effectively as its replacement, the A99 does. Whereas the A900 was a defiantly conventional camera that would have been immediately familiar to Konica Minolta film-camera users, the A99 is something of a technological tour-de-force. The A900 eschewed futuristic fripperies, such as movie shooting and even live view, that became commonplace not long after its launch. The contrast to the all-live-view, movie optimized A99 couldn't be more stark. And yet, despite the A99's radically different approach, it's a camera that A900 users could pick up and immediately start using (and perhaps even enjoying), thanks to its similar button layout. The A99 is based around Sony's SLT design - a variant on the DSLR concept that uses an electronic viewfinder, rather than an optical one. Instead of having a mirror that has to flip out of the way to to take a photo, it uses a fixed semi-transparent mirror that constantly means light is redirected to a DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus sensor. This means live view and autofocus are always active. The SLT design means the A99 offers a consistent shooting experience whether you use the flip-out screen or the electronic viewfinder. It also means the conventional 19-point phase detection focus sensor is always illuminated, along with the 109-point on-sensor array.
Prices
| Retailer | Information | Prices | |
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Sony SLTA99V Alpha SLT-A99V Full-Frame 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera with 3-Inch LED - Body Only (Black) | $2638.79 | See it |
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Sony SLTA99V Alpha SLT-A99V Full-Frame 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera with 3-Inch LED - Body Only (Black) | $2638.89 | See it |
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ALPHA A99V BODY ONLY | $2797.89 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP Full Frame SLR Digital Camera (Black Body Only) | $2798 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera (Black Body Only) ULTIMATE BUNDLE | $2798 | See it |
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Sony SLTA99V Alpha SLT-A99V A99 SLT-A99 Full-Frame 24.3 MP with 3-Inch LED DSLR Digital Camera + 32GB Class 10 Memory Card + Sony Large System Case + Lithium Ion Replacement Battery + Accessory Kit | $2798 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V Full-Frame 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera with 3-Inch LED - Body Only (Black) | $2798 | See it |
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Sony SLT-A99V Digital SLR Camera Body - Bundle - with 32GB SDHC Card, Camera Bag | $2798 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V Full-Frame 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera with 3-Inch LED - Body Only (Black) | $2798 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP Full Frame SLR Digital Camera Body - Ultimate Bundle | $2798 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP Full Frame SLR Body + VG-C99AM Grip+ HVL-F60M Flash | $2798 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99 Full Frame Digital SLR Camera Body with VG-C99 Grip + HVL-F60M Flash + 64GB Card + Battery + Case + Accessory Kit | $2799.95 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99 Full Frame Digital SLR Camera Body with VG-C99 Grip + HVL-F60M Flash + 64GB Card + Battery + Case + Accessory Kit | $2799.95 | See it |
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Sony - SLT-A99V 24.3-Megapixel DSLR Camera (Body Only) | $2799.99 | See it |
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Sony a99 Full-Frame DSLR Camera Body SLT-A99V | $2799.99 | See it |
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Sony SLT-A99V Digital SLR Camera Body - Bundle - with 8GB SDHC Card, Spare Battery, Screen Protector/Cleaning Kit | $2808 | See it |
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Sony SLT-A99V Digital SLR Camera Body - Bundle - with 16GB SDHC Card, Camera Bag, Spare Battery, Screen Protector/Cleaning Kit, 3 Year Extended Warranty, Memory Wallet | $2878 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 28-75mm f2.8 Lens | $3196 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 28-75mm f2.8 Lens | $3196 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 50 f1.4 Full Frame Lens | $3246 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 50 f1.4 Full Frame Lens | $3246 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + 20MM f/2.8 Full Frame Lens | $3546 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + 20MM f/2.8 Full Frame Lens | $3546 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 24mm f/2.0 Full Frame Lens | $4196 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 24mm f/2.0 Full Frame Lens | $4196 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 85mm f1.4 Full Frame Lens | $4496 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Camera (Black) + SAL 85mm f1.4 Full Frame Lens | $4496 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP Full Frame SLR Body + SAL 70-400 G Lens | $4796 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera + Sony 24-70 f2.8 Lens | $4796 | See it |
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Sony Alpha SLT-A99V 24.3 MP SLR Digital Camera + Sony 24-70 f2.8 Lens | $4796 | See it |
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Sony SLT-A99 : (8.4/10)
10 expert reviews
0 user reviews
