PhotographySony Alpha SLT A65 vs. A77 - a comparison
There has been a lot of talk about the new Sony flagship SLT camera, the Alpha SLT-A77. It takes so much spotlight, one could easily forget it also has a more budget friendly sibling: the A65. Considerably less expensive, the A65 has the same image quality and the same incredible XGA OLED viewfinder. I plan on getting the A77, but couldn't dismiss the A65 so easily. So I made a table with all the small and big differences between the two. While the A77 holds a clear advantage, is that advantage worth the substantial premium?
Images © DPReview.com
| SLT-A65 | SLT-A77 | |
   | ||
| Price (body only) | $900 €875 | $1400 €1300 |
| User manual | Sony SLT-A65 user manual | Sony SLT-A77 user manual |
| Dimensions | 132 x 97 x 81 mm | 143 x 104 x 81 mm |
| Weight (with battery) | 622g | 732g |
| Body material | Plastic | Magnesium alloy weather sealed |
| File formats | RAW RAW+JPG JPG - standard JPG - fine | RAW RAW+JPG JPG - standard JPG - fine JPG - extra fine |
| Creative styles | 6 | 13 |
| Pop-up flash guide number | 10m @ 18mm | 12m @ 16mm |
| AF assist | Popup flash | Dedicated beam |
| ISO range | Manual: 100-16000 Auto: 100-1600 | Manual: 50-16000 Auto: fully selectable range |
| Exposure compensation | +/- 3 EV 1/3 EV steps | +/- 5 EV 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps |
| Flash exposure compensation | +/- 2 EV 1/3 EV steps | +/- 3 EV 1/3 or 1/2 EV steps |
| AE Bracketing | 3 frames 1/3 or 2/3 EV steps | 3 or 5 frames 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 2.0 or 3.0 EV steps |
| Shutter | Bulb 30s - 1/4000s X-sync 1/160s | Bulb 30s - 1/8000s X-sync 1/250s |
| High speed mode | 10 frames/s | 12 frames/s |
| Main LCD | Tilt / swivel 2 hinges | Pull-out / tilt / swivel 3 hinges |
| AF unit | 11 focus points total of which 3 cross type | 19 focus points total of which 11 cross type 3 focus point groups |
| Memory slots for settings (MR) | - | 3 |
| Freely assignable buttons | 2 (AEL, ISO) | 3 (AEL, ISO, AF/MF) |
| Optional vertical grip | No | Yes |
| AF micro adjust | No | Yes |
| Main controller | Directional pad | Joystick |
| AF mode selector | Switch AF, MF | Dial MF, AF-C, AF-A, AF-S |
| AF/MF thumb button | No | Yes |
| Direct Manual Focus (DMF) option | No | Yes |
| Release priority option | No | Yes |
| AF speed option | No | Yes |
| AF point selection | Requires extra keypress, dismissing other direct buttons | Direct |
| Top LCD | No | Yes |
| Control dials | 1 | 2 |
| PC sync socket | No | Yes |
| Neck strap connectors | Lugs | Triangles |
I will highlight the most important differences, in favour of the A77:
- weather sealed magnesium body
- extra hinge on the LCD
- 3 MR memory slots
- larger number of (cross) AF points
- ability to take a vertical grip
- AF/MF thumb button
- AF micro adjust option
These differences are, in my opinion, worth the substantial premium. Furthermore:
- ISO 50 option
- fully adjustable auto-ISO range
- freely assignable buttons
- faster shutter
- dedicated AF beam
...are all nice bonuses
UPDATE (May, 2015): In the end, I didn't actually pull the trigger at all. I waited out on the next iteration of a high spec A-mount APS-C camera. In 2014, the A77II was introduced. The A77II has several upgrades over the A77, most notably an updated image sensor, a much more elaborate autofocus system with 79 widespread phase detect focus points and tracking, and a larger memory buffer for continuous shooting. Other changes include a sharper rear LCD, Wifi, NFC and 3 physical positions on the dial for custom settings. All this was enough for me to go out and buy the A77II.
I usually go by DPreview.com for buying advice, but DPreview didn't review the A77II. It took them about a year to post the half-arsed (but deadly honest) review. But instead of comparing it to its peers, they classified it as a professional camera, and in that regard it scored pretty average. And it gets even worse: it scored lower than its 3 year old predecessor. DPreview has now lost its last shred of credibility, and I've stopped visiting their website. They used to be an authority on camera reviews, but they've sunken below sea level.
Fuzzcraft.com comment system 1.1
2012-05-06 Joel
Thank you for posting this in a nice, easy to read format. I agree with your conclusion as well and will be getting the a77 soon.
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