Sony A68 Review

Surprise! Well over a yr since the remaining SLT A-mount frame turned into unveiled (the A77 II), Sony Europe unveiled the new Sony A68, a mid-degree translucent replicate interchangeable lens digicam with an exciting blend of tech borrowed from the A77 II in addition to inherited from its predecessor, the A58.

That announcement changed into made November five, and on December 17, Sony Electronics introduced the A68 will also be available inside the US and Canada starting inside the spring of 2016.

The Sony A68 is constructed around a stabilized 24.2-megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor with a touchy range of ISO 100 to twenty-five,six hundred equivalent. The sensor is coupled to Sony's powerful BIONZ X picture processor which boasts "Detail Reproduction" and diffraction-lowering technology, further to area-particular noise discount.

Exposure modes include complete PASM (Programmed, Aperture-precedence, Shutter-precedence, Manual), complete Auto (with Intelligent and Superior options), Scene choice (Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports Action, Sunset, Night Portrait, Night Scene and Hand-held Twilight), Tele-zoom Continuous AE, Movie, Sweep Panorama, and 3 Custom settings for quick don't forget of your favorite settings.

Metering modes furnished are 1200-quarter multi-segment, center-weighted and see. +/-five EV of publicity repayment is available, in addition to AE lock and and exposure bracketing (three or five frames with up to three.Zero EV increments). DRO and WB bracketing modes are also available.

Shutter speeds range from 1/4000 to 30 seconds, plus a Bulb alternative. The Sony ILCA-68's complete-decision Continuous Hi mode is rated at as much as 5 frames in keeping with 2d, and Continuous Lo is rated at 2.Five fps, each with continuous AF. No word but on buffer depths.

The Alpha A68 capabilities Sony's 4D FOCUS machine which the business enterprise claims grants awesome autofocus performance underneath a huge form of taking pictures conditions, and in lights as low as EV-2. The AF machine offers a wide insurance place with a whopping seventy nine autofocus factors the usage of a devoted segment-hit upon CCD AF module, likely the identical one determined in Sony's flagship A77 II model. Of the seventy nine AF points, 15 are cross-kind sensors, the center point has an extra f/2.8 vertical line sensor for low mild, and AF high-quality tuning is supported for as much as 30 lenses, just like on the A77 Mark II.

Just like its Translucent Mirror predecessors, the Sony A68 can take gain of this sensor not only for nonetheless imaging, but additionally for movies. The partly-reflective Translucent Mirror redirects most effective a portion of incoming mild to the autofocus sensor, with the the rest to be had for seize with the aid of the picture sensor. The digital camera can for that reason hold to consciousness at all times, even during stay view or movie seize. The downside is that you have to depend on an digital viewfinder, as there may be now not sufficient light for an optical viewfinder.

Autofocus modes presented are: Single-shot AF (AF-S), Continuous AF (AF-C) and Automatic AF (AF-A), and Focus Area alternatives are: Wide, Zone, Center, Flexible Spot, Expanded Flexible Spot and Lock-On AF (Wide, Zone, Center, Flexible Spot, Expanded Flexible Spot). Additional autofocus features include Eye-start AF, Eye AF, Predictive manage, Focus lock and AF On.

The Sony A68 can continuously music attention at up to 8 frames in keeping with 2nd in Tele-zoom Continuous AE mode, but that mode captures cropped, 6-megapixel pix using a most of 25 lively AF factors. As cited previously, recognition monitoring is supported at up to five fps in complete-decision Continuous Hi mode the use of the overall AF sensor array.

The built-in flash strobe additionally seems to be borrowed from the A77 II. It has a guide range of 12 meters at ISO one hundred, up from 10 meters at the A58. X-sync is still 1/160s, though. The Sony A68 continues to aid wireless flash with the integrated flash able to acting as a commander to well matched far off units.

The Sony A68's Tru-Finder digital viewfinder utilizes a 0.39"-type 1,440k-dot OLED panel, and consists of a watch sensor. Coverage is 100%, magnification is 0.57x (35mm-equilvalent), eyepoint is 26.5mm from the eyepiece lens / 23mm from the eyepiece frame, and a diopter adjustment of -4.Zero to +3.0m-1 is provided.

The rear screen is simplest a modest 2.7-inch 461k-dot TFT LCD, but it can tilt as much as a hundred thirty five ranges or down to fifty five tiers for capturing at odd angles, and surprisingly for this magnificence, the Sony A68 includes an illuminated top panel popularity show as properly.

The Sony A68 has a manage wheel on the lower back that allows quick fingertip adjustment of camera settings, as well as 10 customizable buttons that regularly-used features may be assigned to. There is also a the front manipulate dial for quick changes of settings, and a generous grip to assist balance with heavy lenses.

The Sony A68 captures Full HD movies at as much as 60p with stereo sound, and consists of assist for the green XAVC S layout, allowing excessive bit price recordings at up to 50 Mbps. Movie functions encompass PASM publicity manipulate, AF power pace, AF tracking period, audio level display, audio rec level, wind filter, vehicle sluggish shutter and HDMI data display.

Images and movies are saved on Sony's proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo flash cards or on Secure Digital cards. The latter encompass not simplest the higher-capability SDHC and SDXC kinds, however additionally the higher-speed UHS-I compliant cards.

Connectivity functions consist of Sony's Multi Interface Hot Shoe, a 3.5mm external mic jack, a DC input terminal, a Micro (Type-D) HDMI port, and a Multi/Micro USB port which also supports a stressed faraway. There is but no built-in Wi-Fi, although Eye-Fi SD playing cards are supported.

Power is derived from a proprietary NP-FM500H lithium-ion battery %, and a committed charger is covered within the package deal. Battery lifestyles is CIPA-rated for 580 photographs in line with charge using the LCD, and 540 photographs in keeping with fee with the EVF.

The Sony A68 may be to be had within the US beginning in April 2016, and could listing for round US$600 body-simplest, and for about US$seven-hundred kitted with the DT 18-55mm F3.Five-5.6 SAM II lens. Availability may also be from April in Canada, priced at approximately $800 and $950 CAD respectively.