Camera Test | SLR and System CamerasHigh quality first-time user’s APS-C SLR with
fixed, semi-translucent mirror, fast continuous
shooting and good continuous AF, even in Full
HD video mode.
Good:CMOS sensor with moderately high
16-megapixel resolution. Well-made, relatively
small plastic body. Sensor shift image
stabilization and 10-fps sequences at full
resolution. Simple handling with many shortcuts
via the 4-way control button. Scroll-free,
tab-driven menu system with icon-driven
function menu for making settings directly.
Sharp, high-resolution articulated monitor with
wide angle of view. High-resolution electronic
viewfinder with a choice of formats and
automatic/manual brightness adjustment. Fast
AF with dedicated sensors. Very good close-up
flash. Powerful battery with percentage charge
remaining display. Microphone connector.
Built-in Sweep Panorama and Auto Portrait
Framing functionality.
Not so good:Monitor attached to the bottom
edge of the camera body, which makes it
impossible to tilt the display when the camera is
mounted on a tripod. No separate control panel
display. Viewfinder with annoying color
sequence technology. Auto ISO limits fixed.
Flash recycle time increases quickly for
sequences of flash photos. Wireless flash control
only with optional equipment. Shutter release
too loud for a camera with no mirror movement.Test results:High, balanced maximum contrast
up to ISO 1600, falling off rapidly above ISO- White balance very good. Noise
characteristics very good up to ISO 800/1600,
with obvious drop-off thereafter. Resolution
consistently good up to ISO 3200, with obvious
drop-off at higher values. Adequate sequence
length, acceptable startup time and very little
shutter lag.
Image quality:Neutral colors with a very slight
yellow tinge, generally a little pale due to a
tendency to overexpose under lab conditions in
daylight. Orange test sticker stays orange.
Central sharpness only good at apertures of
f4.5 and smaller. Good images detail for a
16-megapixel sensor. Obvious banding on our
line chart, but otherwise few moirés. Intense
chromatic aberrations at wide apertures. Very
clean images at ISO 100, with a slight loss of
texture at ISO 200 (the limit for 100% viewing).
Clear loss of texture, sharpness and detail at ISO- Blurred images with texture all but
disappeared at ISO 800 (limit for full-screen
viewing). Additional edge blur and significant
luminance noise at and beyond ISO 1600, with
obvious color noise cutting in above ISO 3200.
Images milky and blurred above ISO 6400.
Outdoor shots with neutral colors but
somewhat pale due to camera’s tendency to
overexpose. Very good overall sharpness and
very good detail rendition at smaller apertures.
Noise characteristics better than under lab
conditions. Fine textures in shadow areas
slightly lacking at ISO 400 and obviously
deteriorating at ISO 800. Washed-out details at
ISO 1600 and significant luminance noise at
higher values. Serious fringing at wide
apertures.Sony SLT-A57
ISO 100 ISO 400 ISO 1600 ISO 6400