GADGET GIZMO
REVIEW SONY 68
(ALPHA 68)
One equates SLRs with
quality images and not without reason. The large image sensor, single lens for
viewingcapturing and advanced electronics make for a great combination. SLRs
start as low as `18,000, going up to a few Lakhs. There are a ton of
differences between those bands and varying levels of complexities but the
basic functioning remains the same. Sony is one of the few that set out to
modify the SLR design with the Alpha series and this is their newest attempt.
While it may look like a
DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera, it is actually an SLT (single lens
translucent) camera. The design is proprietary to Sony and it offers a few
advantages over the traditional designs, which we'll come to in a bit. First,
the design: typical DSLR design with a very large, comfortable grip. On the
back is a 2.7-inch LCD that can tilt up or down (135 degrees up and 55 degrees down).
The eyepiece has dioptre adjustment while a scrolling control wheel lets you
quickly make adjustments to settings. Controls are comfortably laid out and
you'll find a mode dial, hotshoe and secondary backlit LCD in the usual places.
The hotshoe is actually a `multi interface shoe', compatible with flashguns,
mics & remotes.
The translucent mirror
warrants some explanation. An SLRhas a mirror that serves to direct light from
the lens upwards to an optical viewfinder and autofocus system.While capturing
a photograph (or video), the mirror moves up, letting the light pass straight
through to the image sensor. In this case, the mirror stays down -it lets in
most of the light to the sensor behind it but also directs a portion of the
light up for the autofocus system. The mirror itself is a pellicle mirror:
really thin so as to reduce unwanted reflections.
Since the mirror never
moves, it lets the camera capture faster frames per second which would
otherwise be slowed down by the movement of the mirror. The Alpha 68 can do a
maximum of 8 frames per second in high speed mode. In addition, the AF system
is always on, always receiving light -which means that it has better continuous
focus -and it can focus in between shots which is useful with moving subjects.
While shooting video, the continuous AF can smoothly keep your subject in
focus.
The OLED electronic
viewfinder (EVF) is essential and required in case of the SLT design. Some
purists scoff at an EVF but it offers advantages: 100% field of view, the
ability to use it while recording video and the ability to see changes in
exposure real time. It's not the same `feeling' as a camera with a proper
optical viewfinder and it tends to shimmer in some conditions. Other features
we found useful were the easy panorama mode (just pan the camera in the
intended direction and it gives a very clean panorama), solid battery life
(500+ photos from a charge), external microphone jack and a total of 10
customisable buttons. Important to note that it has incamera optical image
stabilisation (OIS) -Sony calls it SteadyShot Inside. It's a sensor shift type
of OIS and will therefore work with any lens.
Performance did not
disappoint -the Alpha 68 is quick off the mark and even quicker to focus. Any
user will appreciate its ability to focus in really low light. We cranked the
ISO up to 6400 and got very good results with noise levels in check. A couple
of things that need improvement are the switching time between LCD to EVF -it
takes half a second to switch to the EVF when you hold it up to your eye. The
limited articulation on the LCD is disappointing as is the relatively low
resolution. Finally , the shutter button has a `spongy' feel with no
discernible difference between halffull press. Overall, it has performance and
features above its class. It's a good step up from an entry-level DSLR and
especially good if you want to do lots of video.
Hitesh.Bhagat@timesgroup.com
ET11MAY16
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