Sony SLT-A35 Hands-On Preview

Review Date: July 4, 2011

Category: Family DSLR – Beginner Amateur

Sony SLT-A35

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Sony SLT-A35 Preview is based on a pre-production model. All sample images are unretouched, except where specified. We will conduct a full review when we get a production model.

The Sony SLT-A35 brings lightning-fast Live View AF to the DSLR thanks to its unique translucent mirror. It incorporates the advantages of a DSLR and provides pretty much all the features serious amateur photographers have come to expect from a DSLR with the added bonus of practical features from the point-and-shoot cameras.

Unlike most DSLRs that suffer from practically unusable slow Contrast-Detect AF when using Live View, the SLT-A35 borrows an old concept, the pellicle translucent mirror, and upgrades it to solve the slow Live View AF issue. The translucent mirror allows most of the light to strike the image sensor (thus providing Live View), but reflects part of it to a Phase-Detect AF sensor (thus delivering full-time lightning-fast AF). This is Live View the way it is supposed to work, unlike the ‘Tripod’ only version on traditional mirrored DSLRs.

The Sony SLT-A35 captures excellent image quality up to ISO 800, with low noise and detail preserved. ISO 1600 is very usable and ISO 3200 is usable at smaller prints.

The Sony SLT-A35 will appeal to beginner amateur photographers desiring a DSLR with the best Live View implementation we’ve ever used. If you want DSLR performance and image quality, and fast Live View AF, the SLT-A35 may be exactly what you’re looking for.

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Next: Sony A35 Image Quality