AshK
The A57 is the latest in Sony’s range of Alpha DSLR cameras and like most of the recent models, it features Translucent Mirror Technology that directs incoming light to the CMOS image sensor and the AF sensor at the same time, allowing for full-time continuous AF during both still and video shooting.
The A57 offers 12fps shooting with continuous autofocus, a 16.1MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and a BIONZ processor, offering an extended sensitivity range of ISO100-16,000. There’s also an upgraded 1440k dot EVF that provides 100 percent field of view, exceptional clarity even in low light situations and -4.0 to +3.0 dioptre adjustment.
The A57 features Auto Portrait Framing, which is a world’s first from Sony – this helps users effectively compose scenes by proposing alternative compositions in addition to the original photo. The feature identifies the subject’s face via face detection technology and automatically trims parts of the scene to create a balanced composition based on the rule of thirds. These cropped images will also maintain virtually all of their resolution thanks to Sony’s proprietary By Pixel Super Resolution Technology, and copies of the cropped and original photos are saved giving users freedom to edit their images later.
The A57’s Clear Image Zoom feature enables users who are not quite ready to invest in expensive telephoto lenses to explore zoom photography with impressive results. Clear Image Zoom analyses every pixel in an image and optimally processes them in accordance with Sony’s unique database, allowing users to achieve up to 2.0x zoom on a standard single focus lens with image quality that is claimed to be almost indistinguishable from an optical zoom lens.
For video buffs, the A57 also boasts Full HD 50p video with P/A/S/M control.
The A57 will be available from April and will be priced as follows:
Body only $1,199
Single lens kit (18-55mm) $1,399
Twin lens kit (18-55mm + 55-200mm) $1,699
