Sony Alpha SLT-A33 Digital Camera with Translucent Mirror Technology and 3D Sweep Panorama (Camera Body only) (Black)

I've only owned this camera for a few days and I can't say enough good things about it. My lens is the Tamron AF 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro Zoom Lens for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras . I also own Pentax K7, Pentax Kx and Panasonic G1. I'm an enthusiast and not even a semi-pro. But this camera performs well beyond my expectation and the features are incredible. I don't shoot video so this review does not cover any of the video attributes of the camera. The electronic view finder is the best I've seen. The panorama feature is amazing and the HDR images are magical even hand held. I've compared similar photos under same conditions with the Pentax and the Panasonic and the Sony photos as good if not better than the other cameras. They are sharp, noise free and show virtually no fringing even under the worst conditions (black tree branches under a bright sky). The tilt-out LCD is real plus. There have been a lot of comments about short battery life. That may be true but I've found that one battery carries me for a full day of shooting and with a spare in my pocket, I have no fear of runnning out of juice. Perhaps the short battery life reputation is only a myth since this is the first camera I've owned that continuously displays a numerical percentage of battery power left. I definitely rate this with 5 stars with no reservations.

I upgraded from a Sony R-1 because I wanted a faster camera with an equivalent lens (Carl Zeiss zoom lens, note review of same). The camera is fast indeed. Coupled with facial recognition, photographing active people is a whole new exerience. The auto + setting recognizes back lit scenes, hand held twilight and other modes automatically and correctly. After a couple of tries I was able to take a perfect panorama photo with all the stiching done by the camera software, without using a tripod. The hand held twilight setting takes multiple photos and combines them for the best shot (great shot of the neighbor's eleaborate Christmas lights). The auto + recognition of back light scenes worked extremely well. In short the camera allows the photographer to focus on the subject and composition, and pretty much takes care of anything else. The sensor works extremely well in low light, I initially believed the built in fash was not working before I realized the camera had much better low light sensitivity than did th R-1. As a result I purchased the lowest powered Sony stroble for bounce flash, saving considerable weight as well as cost. As the R-1 had a fixed Carl Zeiss lens, my comments on backwards compatibility do not apply to lenses. However, the A-33 uses a different battery and a different hot shoe for the strobe. The strobe uses Triple A batteries instead of AA battereis as well requiring a new battery charger (which Sony does not market). I did not buy the camera for its movie making ability, but the feature works extremely well, with continuing autofocus and live view. I will now be exploring this capability, which will require a whole new skill set. The built in mike does pick up on the noise generated when the camera refocuses, so a separate (and stereo) mike is a future accessory if I get serious about movies. I opted for the A-33 vs. the A-55 because I wanted fewer megapixels on the larger sensor, and did not want a GPS unit constantly searching for satellites (as the power saving feature and infrequent shooting makes it operation intermittent at best). The A-33 also clears its buffer faster, and allows longer movie shooting before overheating. I expect a little bit better battery life. Battery life is one of the few things that the R-1 did better, and I have ordered a second battery to have on hand. I have not mastered the menu system (which is also changed from the R-1). The viewing mode and movies recording mode are both external buttons, a plus. Given its versatility in Auto + it will be awhile before I gain this proficiency. Both the electronic view finder and live view are much improved from the R-1. The LCD screen is sharp and vivid although I have not tested it in bright sunlight (I live in Ohio and bought the camera this November). The view finder provides 100% of what the camera sees, and has plenty of room for data. I do like the "level" feature available in both views, and the indicators telling me where the camera is measuring light. No doubt some of my enthusiam reflects the general advances in digital camera over the last 4 years. But I am really happy with this camera. I look forward to photographing cycling events this summer and playing with the continous shooting mode. The capabilities of this camera, both known and as yet unexplored, has stimulated my life long interest in photography. The camera is small, but I have large hands and no difficulty with it although it took some getting used to.I use a Carl Zeiss 16-80 zoom, making this a two handed operation.

Overall this is a great camera. Positives: -Easy to use with intuitive controls and menus -Takes spectacularly crisp and balanced photos -Light weight -Viewfinder. After reading other reviews, I was somewhat hesitant about the electrical viewfinder. Concerns are overblown. You have a great choice of information that you can chose to see or not. The image is very clear and bright -Lens. The 18-250 is a great all around lens, especially for travel (the Op/Tech soft case fits over lens and sun shade perfectly). -HDR. Once you have it you will wonder how you ever lived without it. Great for those point and shoot moments -Battery. Long life. I would order a spare (the off-brand one Amazon sells worked great as well) -Panorama. Excellent job at stitching photos together in the camera. Minor issues -Strap. Get the OP/Tech for comfort -Auto+. The full Auto+ feature tends to fire the flash too often, even in bright daylight. If you want auto, the standard Auto works well. -Movies. A pain if you download to a Mac. Have to convert the file format first before you can import to imovie, etc. I would strongly recommend purchasing the David Busch book on the the Sony A33. Does a great job at walking through all of the features with color examples. Bottom line. Excellent camera for those that want large SLR quality photos without the SLR size or cost.

Although I like the Sony brand, this camera didn't stand to the company's reputation for quality and reliability. Soon after I purchased this camera I went on a cruise in the Caribbean and while on vacation the camera started shutting off for no reason. When I tried to take a video, it shuts down because the camera will over heat after about 7 minutes of filming. Upon my return I quickly put it back into the box, and request a refund, which, Amazon was happy to do. But I didn't let that experience damper my enthusiasm about Sony products because once my refund was complete I turned around and bought the Sony A65 which I am still using today. Would I recommend this camera to a friend. No. No. No. And if you really want to buy this camera, just Google first it and see what comes up.

So I have a Sony A230 and started realizing I have an eye for this photography thing. I bought my a230 for my childs birth, but everyone kept saying you have "the eye" . So I started advertising and networking and people started asking me to take their pictures for money. I love my a230 but, 2.5 frames per second doesn't cut it. Enter the a33, I went back and forth between this and the a560 for weeks. Everything is esentially the same, minus the fact that this camera (a33) has no mirror. So after holding the a33 I was stuck even more, would people take me serious as a photographer with a camera that wasnt a "DSLR" in a traditional sense? You would never know that this camera, based purely on image quality, wasn't a $2500 upper class camera. The colors are stunning and the abulity to capture movement so effortlessly is astonishing. Most poeple question why would I need 7 frames a second? Have you ever tried capturing a child? Yes this camera will be bashed for being plastic, but an easy solution to that is, well use a neck strap and don't swing like a monkey and get a warranty, you will be fine. I could go on for hours about technical details of this beast of a camera, but I am sure I have bored most folks by now, so in closing, don't be a gear snob and opt for Canon or Nikon based on name, Sony is an electronics GIANT, and their dSLR and dSLT cameras are top notch, hey they (sony) even make and/or help produce Nikon's sensors but shhhh, if people knew that then sony would raise their prices due to a high demand for their awsome cameras. buy it EDIT: I gave user ease a lower rating due to needing to thumb through sub menus to get to certain things which are not used terribly often.

I bought this camera three years ago and it's been fine. However - a couple years ago I started to notice that when I wanted to review my shots the button seemed to stick so that it would fly through all the pictures - I could stop it, but never where I wanted. I took it to the dealer but it was out of warranty. Now the problem is worse - it does the same thing when I push the menu button - a completely different button - it scrolls quickly through all the options very quickly. This essentially makes the camera worthless to me, and I'm certainly not going to try and get it fixed for whatever SONY wants.

We had Minolta film bodies until just a few years ago, bought our first Sony Omega digital body so we could continue to use our 500 mm reflex lens and other lenses. (Sony acquired the Minolta camera line.) Wife-unit dropped the Sony, fracturing the UV filter and damaging the body. Camera shop said we would do better to invest in new body. Hard to believe, but the lens survived. Local shops only sell kits that include new lenses, and not equal to what we had. Bought the body and with the $100 we saved were able to apply savings to a lens we desired. Really love the panorama and dusk features that stitch multiple shots together. The dusk feature compiles multiple shots to allow filming in low-light situations without using flash. The camera is much lighter and smaller than previous body, a big bonus.

When I was using film, my favorite camera was the Minolta Maxxim. When Sony took over the reins, I waited for the first Alpha... and didn't like it. I sold all of my Minolta equipment, and switched over to the Canon 30D (this should date the time frame). Then, the A33 arrived. I love this camera. I still like the Canon too. I purchased a Sony 35mm prime lens and a Tamron 18-200 zoom. That should keep me busy for awhile. Using this camera is FUN. My favorite feature is the ability to see images thru the viewfinder. Especially in bright sunlight. HDR is also great. It may not be as fast as the Canon, but I like the way it feels. I've been looking for a smaller camera, and the Rebel just feels awkward in comparison. I like the stabilization in the body, rather than the lens.