Sony a (alpha) SLT-A33 > Reviews (1)

Sony a (alpha) SLT-A33

INTRO

Sony SLT-A33 is another wonderful SLR camera that I use for photography. In todays market where a buyer has a great variety to choose from, this camera though not so great but still competent and a wonderful gadget. This has some better features than other camera's I've used. Although the camera is not a cheap choice, gives you some amazing features. I'm trying not to use the technical terms but in simple words to explain how would this Camera be different to others.

Design and Looks

The body is black in colour and small enough to fit in to my handbag. The Grip is something that fascinated me. The grip of a camera is really very important that lets you focus on the subject steadily and lets you click the perfect picture or an uninterrupted video. Unlike other cameras, this one has the mode changer to the left side. I'm talking about the round thing that lets you change the mode from Custom to Auto and several other modes. From the front side you'll see an "Alpha symbol" on the right side orange in colour. A roller is fixed at the right side just easy to operate through your right hand index finger to zoom in and out. The screen of this one is movable too unlike other cameras. It can be tilted downwards and then can also be tilted again. This lets you take pictures from any angle. The digital viewfinder is fairly sized for your eye. A button brings up the flash up and can be used in dark to click clear pictures.

Features with Specifications

1) CMOS Sensor
This camera has a CMOS sensor allows faster reading of data feature, meaning high speed reading of data. Data here means the subject I am capturing. This CMOS sensor is said to consume less power so less battery consumption. This camera has a highly sensitive lens and makes low noise while clicking pictures.
2) HD Video Recording
This camera is famous for its fast Video Capture feature. Meaning if I am recording a video it records crystal clear videos in High Definition HD.
3) Focus
This camera has an autofocus, meaning, the focus on the subject is automatic and you don't need to manually focus or adjust the lens.
4) Shooting Modes
This camera lets me take pictures in 3D in the panorama mode. The pictures are really clear. All I need to do is connect this camera with a 3D television for better view of the pictures and lets me feel the best experience. The tips and tricks of the camera are always there displayed to help me decide what to do. Other modes available are Landscape, Portrait, Night Portrait, Sports ,Macro, Sunset, Handheld Twilight, Night View.
5) Mega Pixel and Zoom
The camera claims to be 14.2 Mega Pixels and I personally found the pictures of this camera are more better than other brands up to 14 mega pixels. If I talk about the zoom there's nothing good really because it has a zoom of 3x only. The other Digital camera I have has a better zoom capability than this.
6) Flash
The flash is an auto flash that pops up after pressing a button and when I click the button
7) Display and Viewfinder
SLT-A33 has a display of good 3" and if you want to save batteries, use the digital viewfinder.

8) Batteries
The batteries are Li rechargeable batteries. Li I guess is Lithium. These batteries however can be used the entire day if you use the camera using the viewfinder and not the display.
9) Detections
Smile and Face Detection are detected automatically in the camera in auto mode.
10) Compatible Lenses
Almost all Alpha types of lenses are compatible with this camera

In the Box

USB cable : Too attach it either to a TV screen or a computer.
Battery charger/Battery : To charge the rechargeable batteries. A battery
Shoulder Strap : To be able to carry the camera wherever you go.
Lens cap : To cover the lens from dust.
CD : This disc consists of Drivers & Utilities, Sony Picture Motion Browser, Sony Image Data Converter SR, Sony Image Data
Light box SR and it is compatible with both Microsoft Windows as well as Apple OS
Warranty Card: The warranty for this product is a year.

Store Availability

This camera is available at Tesco, Amazon, EBay, Argos.

C0$t

The camera will cost anything between £380 to £430 for the body only. The lens will cost separately depending upon the brand and size of the lens. The rechargeable batteries can cost anything between £6-£9

Drawbacks

Unfortunately this Sony camera lacks in an integrated GPS receiver. Another thing that disappoints me being a photographer is the zooming capacity of 3X only. Other camera produces a fantastic zooming result. So this is just good for clicking close up pictures. However a good lens can overcome this.

MY RECOMMENDATION

I would recommend this SLR camera for anyone looking to buy a DSLR (though you can find some more cheaper cameras). This is good for those who want an SLR camera and don't know anything about pro photography. A perfect camera for starters and perfect for migration from a digital camera to a DSLR camera. But instead of buying a lens and investing more, you can opt for a some other camera with better zoom and which is cheaper and comes with a combo offer of camera + lens.