Sony Alpha DSLR SLT A77 Digital Camera with 16-50mm f/2.8 DT Zoom Lens

2015-02-24T19:00:00

So I actually love this camera. But I have to give it one star rating because I have only had it for 3 months and it already broke. The camera is technically still working but the front dial control has a rubber belt with knobby teeth for advancing the dial forward or back. Well the rubber belt has cracked all the way through. I had barely used the camera and it broke. I had to send it in costing $85 for shipping with insurance. Now I have to wait. Hopefully it gets back before my baby is born. She is due anytime starting next week and was the reason I decided to upgrade.

xturfsk8r

Originally posted at

2013-07-29T21:00:00

Still new to the camera, so I can't even begin to review all of it's features. Nor can I answer questions about longevity. However, this camera is so much better than any camera I have ever had. I upgraded from the Sony a380. The megapixels make all the difference, especially in low lighting. I actually took a picture of stars in the sky without a tripod. The Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 lens is a must for this camera. It shows the hair on the back of a dragonfly from 3 feet away. Burst mode has returned! I didn't know how much I missed burst mode until I had it again, and on a dslr nonetheless. I have yet to figure out the 3D feature, it seems to do the same thing as the panorama setting, which is nice on its own. The only thing I dislike about switching to the A77 from the A380 is the memory card slots have gone from two separate slots for MSpro and SD (with a switch to move between them on the a380) to one slot that will hold either MSpro OR SD (on the a77).

Hazeymarie

2013-05-30T21:00:00

I do portrait and scenic photography. I was initially worried by some of the reviews I read when this camera first came out, but still wanted one. When the price got under $1K I jumped on it. I'm a single father, so expensive lenses are out, but the old Minolta lenses work extremely well with this camera for a fraction of the price. Bought 10 for around $500 TOTAL and have a great selection that work very well. LOW LIGHT is NOT a problem. If you know how to shoot, you don't NEED anything above ISO 800 anyway! Night shot samples (most around ISO 250) http://www.tenntrips.com/A77/A77Chatt.php Sharp - OH H*** YES! Color - BEEEEUTIFUL Matches capabilities (and exceeds some) of much higher priced competition. If you use the 'other' brands and try this camere YOU WILL SWITCH! If you've been teetering on the edge of the fence, NOW is the time with the price, you won't be dissapointed!!!

MIKE H.

2013-04-13T21:00:00

Use mostly for wildlife in central america where they hide in the trees. The auto focus is very good and the indicators don't clutter the screen like the d800 and d600 but I mostly use manual focus. Focus aids like the fringing is fantastic especially in the jungle. Even when your eyes are fogged up or blurry you can tell exactly what is in focus. LOVE IT!!! Low light is not as good as others but not bad either. they even have multi exposure noise reduction for stills. interesting software that really helps. There are plenty of great minolta AF lenses available too. The beercan is good for tree shooting Tamron 70-300 for open areas and the old 100mm f2.8 MACRO is about as good as a lens gets. The 18-55 f2.8 "kit" is also a very good and quiet lens I like for videos and around town. Video performance on the A77 is better than any other camera I have used including professional FF Nikons and Canons. They don't come close and with the high speed 100Mb/s SD ultra you can get a couple seconds of 12 FPS stills. Great for my granddaughter's Karate competitions. Again no other FF camera comes close. I am giving it a 5 only because I can't give it a 4.75. The only issue is low light noise as far as I can see and that is only a problem if the subject moves. Otherwise you can use the multi frame noise reduction to pretty much get it to where the Nikon d600 is.

busseja

2013-03-07T19:00:00

Use for fun

D

2012-05-31T21:00:00

If you are a Photographer who is looking for a new camera...look elsewhere...Outside works fine...but studio work ---- Hmmmm just forget it... you cannot use Radio triggers with this camera...

Cajun P.

2012-04-05T21:00:00

I spent a weekend at a tradeshow selling the A77 to consumers who were excited about the new tech, the new specs, and the new size of the Sony SLT-A77. I was impressed by their enthusiasm, but I was at heart a Nikon guy. Through selling them on the product, I shot many photos at the tradeshow that indexed in my mind at the settings I was shooting would be impossible with the lens combinations and price points the Sony was hitting. I shot moving objects at breakneck walking speeds, and can remember my D7000 [*] out and not holding focus. I shot using the built 2x teleconverter on people's mouths while they were talking and was so impressed that shot for over an hour in teleconverter mode at 12fps. I shot using the HDR mode and made a note that most pics that I shoot in HDR to get them that right would take me over 2 hours in post edit. The noise reduction at 6400 iso was breathtaking. I can remember a customer that wanted the camera but not the kit lens haggling all day about it but finally bought it at the end of the second show day. She waffled, and humphed, and asked, and searched. Finally what tipped her were all the other people at the show telling her about the sharpness and the quietness of the lens. 16-50 F2.8 SSM with a diameter of 72mm. 2 ED and 1 aspherical elements in a kit lens.I made sure that I put my A77 on my Christmas wish list. God blessed us with a new child and a new camera the same Christmas. I have taken pictures with fewer adjustments needed than with any other camera in my life. Low light, sunlight, motion, video, it is amazing. The lack of tethering for instant adjustments when teaching or demoing, and its minimal internal buffer to really achieve 12fps camera shooting 50-60 frames in the matter of moments would be my only hangups. The shoe, the socket, the mic and headphone jacks, the IR sensor, the grip, button placement are all perfect. I would highly recommend it to anyone, pro or amatuer, and unlike most cameras at its price point even beginners. It would compel a newbie to really want to get into photography for life because of the user experience with the kit lens. It is so sharp.

The K.

2012-04-02T21:00:00

I shoot pics almost every day. I have gotten great results, the camera is easy to use and learn. The buttons are easy to use, well placed, all great features. I have owned this camera since November 1st, 2011 and have loved everything about it. I plan on keeping this one for a very long time. Also love the kit lens, the 16-50mm is an awesome lens and is a great starter. This is my first slr and has been great inspiration in the pursuit/passion of photography.

Nursefish

2012-03-05T19:00:00

After reading the reviews for the A77 I had high expectations and I was not disappointed. What I didn't expect was the quality of the kit lens. I think I have a new favorite lens. Props to Sony for putting a lens of that quality in the kit.

DIANA W.

2012-01-07T19:00:00

Took my alpha-77 to Antarctica this December with a bunch of AF Minolta lenses of various focal lenghts. Stills and videos are excquisite. Software provided with camera is very helpful in indexing images by date and location while not duplicating uploads.

PHILIP K.

2011-11-16T19:00:00

I just got this camera a few days ago and out of the box, I was impressed at the build of it. I was even more impressed that a kit lens would be of a high quality. The images are very sharp and clear. I have been a Canon user for many years and the Sony A77 has converted me to Sony cameras. This camera is so easy to use with the image stabilizer, you almost have to put forth an effort to take a bad, blurry pictures. Good job Sony!

THOMAS J.

2011-11-05T21:00:00

Summary:First off let me say that I have been with Olympus since the beginning starting with the E500 and currently use the E5. I have never owned another DSLR other than Olympus. On a whim I purchased a Sony Nex 3 because I was so intrigued with it. The DXO marks really put it up there with some high end cameras. From there I went to the 5n. I fell in love with the IQ and then started looking into Sony DSLRs. I almost picked up an a580 but decided to wait untill the release on the a77. After reading the specs on it I pre ordered one. I wanted my next upgrade to be a camera that would give me enough image quality that there would not be any need to upgrade again for a long time. This way I could focus more on my work and less on my gear. I really liked the a77 out of the box. The first thing I noticed was the beefy build quality. Maybe not as beefy as my E5 but very close. The only weakness in the body I worry about is the joystick. It could possibly break off but who knows it may be there many years from now. The on off switch also looks as though it could easily get dirt in it over time. But again it may never give me a problem. I will do my best to watch these two issues in time. The buttons are laid out very well and makes operating the camera a breeze. I like how I can switch focusing modes so quickly. The tilting LCD is also very nice. This is one feature I really wanted because how much it helped me having this on my E5. Spin it around and put it away for safe keeping. This leads me to the EVF. What can I say here it is stunning. I had to check the specs again to make sure I was really looking at a digital image and not through a traditional finder. I see grainy noise in the finder only when I am looking in extreme low light. This makes me think I will not be using the LCD as much as I did on the E5 because what you see in the finder is going to be what you get in the final image. There is also a built in level in the finder that really comes in handy. Focusing speed is very fast. I am really inpressed that the a77 focuses with so much speed with live view. Navigating the menu is also very easy. It is laid out well. I have only had to refer to the manual a couple of times. Once to figure out how to fire a wireless flash. I was almost tempted to go full frame and almost bought an a850 but chose not to because I felt the a850 was a very stripped down cameras as far as features. I am beginning to think that sooner or later with improvements in IQ of cropped sensors full frame cameras may become a thing of the past. Image quality is also very good. I haven't went past 3200 iso yet but noise levels are where you would think they should be on a high end Sony. I read the 24mpix images might slow my computer down but haven't had any issues there at all. I can upload and process RAW files with the Sony as fast as my E5. I have noticed no lag times in processing. I run Windows 7 64 bit. I use Lightroom 3.5 and CS4. Storage is dirt cheap these days so no issues there either. Finally, I really think Sony is the cutting edge in camera technology right now. They are innovative, progressive and march to the beat of there own drums. Pretty much like Olympus was years ago. If the other camera manufacturers are not carefull they are going to be playing catch up with Sony. I am very pleased with the a77 so much I am going to compliment it with the Nex7 when it is released. I am certainly not giving up my Olympus E5. I love it to much.

Greg M.