The A55 and the A33 are the first cameras to be equipped with the SLT type mirrors as opposed to SLR. SLT stands for “Single Lens Translucent” mirror. For the uninitiated, Sony uses a fixed translucent mirror as opposed to the moving mirror that you’ll find in other D/SLR cameras. While the A33 shares the same 14mp sensor of NEX-5 and NEX-3, A55 has a spanking new 16.2 million effective pixels. Both the cameras can shoot 1080p HD resolution with constant auto focus. Other notable features in the A55 includes Auto Exposure with 10FPS burst mode, built in GPS, Auto HDR, handheld twilight mode, 2x magnification mode in live view, articulating screen and a lot of enticing panorama features. But, for the people who are migrating from DSLR cameras to these cameras are in for a rude shock since the A55 and A33 do not have a true optical viewfinder, its just another LCD when you peek in through the eye piece which may prove to be a hindrance.
The SLT technology looks promising enough in terms of image quality and color representation and may as well become the benchmark in the future. Its a wait and watch game!
The A55 (SLT-A55V) & A33 (SLT-A33) are priced at Rs. 47,990 & Rs. 37,990 respectively in India and are bundled with a case and 4GB card each.
Sony SLT-A55 and SLT-A33 Specifications
