Photography

Sony unveils new translucent mirror Alpha cameras

Sony unveils new translucent mirror Alpha cameras
Sony has introduced a couple of new Alpha digital SLR cameras featuring its new Translucent Mirror Technology
Sony has introduced a couple of new Alpha digital SLR cameras featuring its new Translucent Mirror Technology
View 13 Images
The rear of the SLT-A55 with 3-inch 921,600 resolution Xtra Fine, variable angle tilt LCD with TruBlack technology and 100 per cent coverage
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The rear of the SLT-A55 with 3-inch 921,600 resolution Xtra Fine, variable angle tilt LCD with TruBlack technology and 100 per cent coverage
As well as Live View via the variable angle tilt LCD, users can also view images through the electronic viewfinder of the SLT-A33
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As well as Live View via the variable angle tilt LCD, users can also view images through the electronic viewfinder of the SLT-A33
The immediate benefit to the user of the SLT-A55 is one of speed, with up to 10 frames per second continuous autofocus shooting
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The immediate benefit to the user of the SLT-A55 is one of speed, with up to 10 frames per second continuous autofocus shooting
The controls on top of the SLT-A33, with familiar PASM dial and a dedicated movie button, a button for switching between Live View and viewfinder and the shutter release
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The controls on top of the SLT-A33, with familiar PASM dial and a dedicated movie button, a button for switching between Live View and viewfinder and the shutter release
The SLT-A55's variable angle tilt LCD display
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The SLT-A55's variable angle tilt LCD display
Close up of the CMOS sensor and translucent mirror of the new SLT-A33
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Close up of the CMOS sensor and translucent mirror of the new SLT-A33
Front view of the new SLT-A55 showing the 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor behind the fixed position translucent mirror
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Front view of the new SLT-A55 showing the 14.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor behind the fixed position translucent mirror
The SLT-A55 features built-in GPS for automatic geo-tagging of stills and videos
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The SLT-A55 features built-in GPS for automatic geo-tagging of stills and videos
Both the SLT-A55 and the SLT-A33 (shown) are compatible with the full range of over 30 A-mount interchangeable lenses
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Both the SLT-A55 and the SLT-A33 (shown) are compatible with the full range of over 30 A-mount interchangeable lenses
The SLT-A55 has a 16.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor
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The SLT-A55 has a 16.2 megapixel Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor
Images can be further enhanced with the inclusion of Auto HDR, 3D Sweep Panorama and Auto modes
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Images can be further enhanced with the inclusion of Auto HDR, 3D Sweep Panorama and Auto modes
As light from the lens hits the translucent mirror, it is split between the autofocus and image sensors
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As light from the lens hits the translucent mirror, it is split between the autofocus and image sensors
Sony has introduced a couple of new Alpha digital SLR cameras featuring its new Translucent Mirror Technology
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Sony has introduced a couple of new Alpha digital SLR cameras featuring its new Translucent Mirror Technology
View gallery - 13 images

If you've suffered a missed photo opportunity due to the short time your digital SLR takes to get its mirror out of the way, then Sony reckons it has the answer. The mirror inside the new α33 and α55 digital cameras doesn't move out of the way at all, it's just semi-transparent and simply allows the light from the lens through to the CMOS sensor while also redirecting some to the camera's autofocus sensor. Whether shooting stills or high definition video, Sony says that its new technology allows for simultaneous image capture and fast, accurate autofocus.

Existing mirror-based digital SLR cameras are restricted to getting shots in focus during the interval between image capture. When the user presses the shutter release, the mirror has to be moved out of the way so that light passing through the lens can hit the sensor. The short delay experienced can mean the difference between bagging that stunning action shot or being left with a disappointing blur. In a novel approach to the issue, Sony has removed the mirror-raising mechanism altogether and in its place has installed something it's calling Translucent Mirror Technology.

What's it all about?

As light from the lens hits the translucent mirror, it is split between the autofocus and image sensors
As light from the lens hits the translucent mirror, it is split between the autofocus and image sensors

It's essentially a semi-transparent mirror that doesn't actually move out of the way while a frame is captured. Instead, the light passing through the lens is effectively split in two when it reaches the mirror, some being directed up to the autofocus sensor and the rest passing through to the CMOS image sensor. The immediate benefit to the user is said to be one of speed. Making it possible to focus at the same time an image is being captured, Sony says that its SLT-A33 model is capable of an impressive 7 frames per second (fps) continuous autofocus shooting in Continuous Priority AE mode, while the SLT-A55V raises the bar even further by achieving 10 fps.

The new mirror technology is also said to provide visual gains for the Live View and viewfinder too. Full-time Live View lets users see images as received on the sensor, via a 3-inch 921,600 resolution Xtra Fine, variable angle tilt LCD with TruBlack technology and 100 per cent coverage. The Tru-Finder eye-level electronic viewfinder with 1.15 million dot resolution also benefits from full coverage but also throws in live video preview for good measure. Both alpha cameras cater for continuous autofocus during video shooting and as well as recording to full 1080p high definition in motion JPEG format, there's also the option of AVCHD 1080i.

Low light and fast moving image capture

Sony claims that its high precision TTL 15-point phase detection autofocus system with 3 cross sensors should result in clear images of fast-moving objects being accurately tracked and captured. Assisting with image clarity is SteadyShot INSIDE image stabilization technology that is reported to offer up to four exposure steps of anti-shake correction when shooting handheld. There's also a sensitivity range of ISO100 to ISO12800 with an additional multi-frame noise reduction mode. The camera shoots six frames in this mode and then combines them into a single shot, which is said to result in effective sensitivity of up to ISO25600.

The controls on top of the SLT-A33, with familiar PASM dial and a dedicated movie button, a button for switching between Live View and viewfinder and the shutter release
The controls on top of the SLT-A33, with familiar PASM dial and a dedicated movie button, a button for switching between Live View and viewfinder and the shutter release

Other image enhancement options include an Auto HDR mode which takes three images at different exposures and then merges them into one enhanced image with rich shadow and highlight detail. There's 3D Sweep Panorama technology that creates a couple of images from each shot to enable panoramic photos to be viewed in three dimensions with a compatible viewer. And giving the Auto mode a boost is Auto+, capable of automatically recognizing various scenes and altering settings to suit and is said to result in "cleaner, more dynamic pictures and fewer missed shots."

Both models feature an Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor - the SLT-A33 at 14.2 megapixels and the SLT-A55V at 16.2 – and image processing is undertaken by the BIONZ engine. They're both compatible with the range of over 30 A-mount interchangeable lenses, sport both HDMI-out and USB 2.0 connectivity and support the SDXC media card format. The SLT-A55V also has built-in GPS for automatic geo-tagging of images and video clips.

The SLT-A55's variable angle tilt LCD display
The SLT-A55's variable angle tilt LCD display

Pricing and availability

Sony's SLT-A33 will be available from September and will cost US$650 for the body only. A body and 18-55mm zoom lens kit will also be available for US$750. The SLT-A55V will land a month later at a cost of US$750 for the body and US$850 for the body and lens kit.

Sony has released a short promotional video that highlights many of the features of both cameras:

Introducing α55 and α33 powered by the world's first "Translucent Mirror Technology"

View gallery - 13 images
6 comments
6 comments
William Volk
Wow. My 1967 or so Canon Pellix did the same trick. Used a half-silvered pellical mirror that did not flip up to make the exposure. The stationary mirror reduced vibration and allowed superb picture quality. Good to see that show up again.
I still have the camera.
klavaza
Interesting. Canon used this technology, or a similar one, back in the 60\'s of the 20th. Century. It was featured in its Pelix model. I think that Nikon and others used it as well (even Miranda if my memory is right). Wouldn\'t it be better to use a live LCD viewer instead of inserting something more in between?
Ed
I don\'t understand why this is a problem! I\'ve used SLR film cameras for years and none of they had any problems with shutter lag! This seems to be a solution to a problem that doesn\'t really exist! And besides..it\'s a Sony product...anybody who has any kind of conscience should avoid Sony products at all costs. Sony doesn\'t trust their customers. They are responsible for one of the worst Root Kit infections in computing history! They released music CDs with the licensed CD logo that didn\'t follow the CD protocol, thereby they were in violation of the patent holder\'s rules on using the CD logo. These music CDs would drop a badly written program onto a computer if it was run from a computer\'s CD drive. This rootkit was supposed to capture all music played on the computer and send this information back to Sony so that Sony would have the evidence needed to proceed against copyright violators. Unfortunately, this software was so badly written, it caused crashes that no one could figure out the reasons why. Many people replaced their computers, or paid hundreds to repair shops to fix their systems. This level of arrogance by Sony should not be tolerated! So I actively boycott all Sony products and urge the rest of the world to do the same!
juge
AS other commenter wrote, the Canon Pelix 35 mm camera was the practical answer many years ago to eliminating the time delay, loss of thru-the-lens image monitoring, and the infrequent but still existent and noticeable vibration and sharpness impact on long-lens pictures. THE Pelix was a semitransparent coating that really worked. It did cut light a bit thru the mirror, but I am sure that Sony\'s update to the technology will be the kick in the pants needed for burying the spring-loaded view mirror. I wouldn\'t be surprised to see an active coating surface that will correct for lens curvature. Kudos to Sony.
Facebook User
Sony Alpha SLT-A55V with a resolution of 190x1080i and using the AVCHD format captures satisfactory videos. The shoot time is maximum of 30 minutes. You can view this AVCHD video on HD television, and if you want to use internet MP4, is suggested as it is universally recognized. It is the fastest of cameras i have handled as it is very quick to switch from one mode to other. Even you can use the zoom feature while shooting a video, but due to the sensitive microphone it may irritate you bit, as it records the wind noise and as well the noise while autofocussing of the cameras. The 16 mp sensor gives quite clear images, using the contrast, sharpness, saturation settings from -3 to 3 range. So not a bad deal to make. http://www.digitaldesires.net/category/sony-gizmos
Tanmay Sasvadkar
Both cameras also feature 3D Sweep Panorama, allowing photographers to capture detail-packed extra-wide panoramas with a huge field of view. 3D panoramas can be enjoyed on any compatible 3D HD television. The SLT-A55 is also the first %u03B1 camera by Sony with integrated GPS, allowing automatic geo-tagging of images and video clips.