Sony ALPHA SLT-A33 Pro Reviews

The A33 undoubtedly opens new doors and Sony's clear-cut commitment to pushing new technology into the photo market is 
an interesting angle for a company looking for new approaches to capture today's demanding audiences. Digital technologies are changing and it has to be said so are consumer's expectations. While a year or 
so ago many noses would have turned at the mere suggestion of an Electronic Viewfinder the technology has come on 
in leaps and bounds. It may still not be perfect and, indeed, the EVF may be the A33's greatest challenge. Though that sounds rather cynical as, in actuality, the A33 is an innovative, super-fast and top quality camera that feels much the same as using a ‘new age' DSLR camera. There are one or two small improvements that could be made, but all things considered, this is new technology pushing the boundaries. The super-fast autofocus in live view and continuous focus burst modes actually work a treat. An exciting development that looks to be a step further towards the end of DSLR cameras as they once were - and not in a negative manner.

The SLR idea has been around for ages and it's concept has never really been questioned till the EVILs came around. It's probably not surprising that an electronics company is actually going to evolve the DSLR and not one of the classic and more conservative manufacturers (although Canon offered a couple of translucent camera during the film SLR era). The Sony Alpha SLT-A33 (and A55) is a milestone for sure. Its translucent mirror technology allows high-speed photo shooting and Full HD video with fast and reliable auto focus ... without a mirror design.

Despite its cutting-edge internal design, the Sony A33 is a wisely more refined version of many other Alpha cameras in terms of handling, offering a tried and trusted approach with few real drawbacks that both new DSLR users and the more experienced will warm to. The Sony A33 is a great marriage of new and old, competitively priced to take on the best that mid-range DSLRs and Compact System Cameras can offer, and surpassing both in many ways. Highly Recommended.

For maximum resolution and shooting speed, plus built-in GPS, choose the Sony A55. Give up a little speed and resolution and drop the GPS, though, and you can save upwards of $200 with the Sony A33.

Sony's Alpha SLT-A33, and its stable-mate the A55, are two of the most interesting and exciting cameras around right now. They may resemble conventional DLSRs from the outside, but rather than having a mirror which flips up when you take a photo, they employ fixed translucent mirrors – hence the acronym SLT for Single Lens Translucent rather than Single Lens Reflex.

Packed with innovative features, but some of these have drawbacks as well as advantages.

For users of bridge cameras the Sony Alpha A33 Digital SLT is a definite upwards step, opening up the world of interchangeable lenses, including the superb Carl Zeiss optics. The full APS-C sized sensor puts it in a class alongside the conventional DSLRs and the big decision will depend on whether or not the buyer will accept the EVF instead of a standard optical viewfinder. Those moving from bridge cameras will have no problem and will be impressed, those using DSLRs may be more difficult to persuade. I can overcome my own doubts easily enough having spent some very enjoyable hours using it.

The A33 is different and, despite its infancy, successfully innovative. Technology that pushes the boundaries is always a good thing and moves preconceptions forward. If using an optical viewfinder is a total essential for your DSLR purchase then the A33 probably won’t be for you - though that’s a potentially cynical outlook as what it does have to offer is certainly very good. The A33 opens up super-fast shooting to the masses, pushes HD video capture to another level thanks to the autofocus, provides decent image quality and all at a reasonable price-point. There’s an army of Alpha lenses to take advantage of if you’re looking to expand into the system and it’s fair to say the SLT-A33 ticks a lot of technological boxes to tempt a wide spectrum of users in. It’s not perfect (and the forthcoming A700 replacement may ramp things up a gear if you demand more), but it is a great stab at a new category.