Based on a pre-production SLT-A77 II running firmware 1.00

Sony has announced the SLT-A77 II which, as the name implies, is an overhaul of its semi-pro APS-C camera from 2011. The camera itself looks interesting, but so do some of the things it could be taken to signify.
Sony is not a company that could ever be accused of not trying. Eight years on from buying Konica Minolta's camera business, Sony has produced over forty interchangeable lens cameras based on at least three fundamental design approaches: conventional DSLRs, the fixed-mirror SLT system and the mirrorless E-mount models. Those cameras have continued to get better and the company has recently hit a particularly good run of form.
This success in terms of making very good, as well as very innovative, cameras starts to make sense of what has at times looked like a 'try lots of things, see what sticks' approach. The question is: once one of the designs really delivers on its promise, does it make sense to continue the other technologies in parallel?

Clearly Sony believes it does. Despite the leaps and bounds being made with the E-mount Alphas, both in terms of the on-sensor phase detection autofocus of the a6000 and the full frame sensors shoehorned into the A7 triplets, it has continued to develop its SLT cameras. The A77 Mark II features a new autofocus sensor, and it's much more than a refreshed version of an existing design. Instead the A77 II is built around the AF module with the most focus points of any camera on the market (79), covering an extremely wide area of the frame. It's also rated to work in lighting as low as -2EV. That doesn't necessarily make it quite as sophisticated at pro-grade DSLRs, since they have more cross and diagonal sensor elements, but it looks very impressive for a camera in this part of the market.

The autofocus capability combines with the camera's ability to shoot images at 12 frames per second to offer a compelling feature set. The A77 II also benefits from the autofocus tracking advances that have been included on recent Sony cameras, which use information from the main image sensor to identify and follow a given target.
Beyond that autofocus sensor, the A77 II gains an updated 24MP sensor (presumed to be a version of the sensor from the a6000, but without the on-chip sensor phase detection design) and all the benefits that the company introduced with its Bionz X processor. This means it gains three features: context-sensitive noise reduction, diffraction reduction technology and more-sophisticated sharpening.

Sony SLT-A77 II key specifications:

• 24MP CMOS Sensor with gapless, offset microlenses
• 12fps continuous shooting with autofocus (up to 60 JPEGs)
• 79 point AF module with 15 cross-type AF points, covering 40% of frame
• Increased control over AF behavior
• 1080p60 movies with autofocus
• Audio level monitoring during movie shooting
• 2.4M dot OLED viewfinder
• Pull-out three-hinge tilt/swivel 1.23m dot White Magic LCD screen
• Built-in Wi-Fi with NFC
• 1/8000th maximum shutter speed, shutter rated for 150,000 actuations
• ISO 100 - 25,600 (Extendable down to 50, and up to 51,200 with multi-image combination)
• Auto ISO customization
• Optional, profile-based correction of vignetting, chromatic aberrations and geometric distortion
• Top panel LCD
• Stereo microphone and external mic socket
• AF Micro Adjust

Focus advances

Although Sony stresses that the A77 II shouldn't be compared to pro-grade cameras (not least because it's much less expensive), it is starting to gain the kinds of paper specifications that suggest it could punch considerably above its weight. For instance, the improvements to the A77 II's autofocus system extend a long way beyond the focus sensor itself.
The Mark II gains a range of subject identifying technologies that Sony has introduced in recent models. As such, it offers Eye-AF, rather than just face detection. It also gains the most advanced version of 'Lock-On AF' that we've yet seen, which will use or allow you to specify an off-center starting AF point (previously most Sonys assumed your subject was the thing at the center of the frame, when you started tracking).
Unlike the A99, which used its on-sensor phase detection elements to track a subject's movement when it was between the focus sensor's focus points, the A77 II uses the focus points adjacent to the currently active point. In addition, the A77 II becomes the first Sony that lets you determine how doggedly the camera should stick with the current focus point - an option you'd usually only expect to find on very high level models. Better still, it lets you specify different values for video and stills shooting.
On top of this, the camera has an A99-style distance limiter that lets you specify the approximate range of focus distance over which you expect your subject to travel, to prevent the camera being distracted by near or distant subjects. Also added is an option to prioritise release or focus in continuous shooting, giving much greater control over the camera's continuous focus and shooting behavior. Overall, the A77 II represents a major step forward for Sony autofocus control.

What's in a name?

Interestingly, Sony's marketing implies that it is moving away from the 'Single Lens Translucent' name for the A77 II, instead adopting the phrase 'Translucent mirror DSLR.' This is a slightly unfortunate phrase to use, semantically, but only because the mirror is actually semi-transparent (translucence implies a diffuse image): the camera has all the elements implied by the term 'DSLR.'
The technology remains the same as before: a fixed, semi-transparent mirror redirects a portion of the light up to a dedicated autofocus sensor, while the majority passes through to the main imaging sensor. The light lost to the AF sensor has a slight cost in terms of high ISO image quality, but avoids the complexity of multiple moving mirrors, with the benefit that autofocus remains available at all times, including during video shooting.

Body & Design

The a77 II is a mid-size DSLR with a solid, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, which has some weight to it, but not to the point of being heavy. The right hand grip feels 'just right' and gives easy access to the most important controls on the camera. Speaking of which, the a77 II is loaded with buttons and dials, but they're logically placed and usually serve one function at a time. That said, there are eleven customizable buttons on the body, with up to 51 assignable functions, so you can truly set up the a77 II to your liking.
The a77 II has traditional front and rear dials for adjusting exposure and navigating menus, and uses a 'joystick' rather than the four-way controller found on most cameras. The joystick can be used with both the Func. menu (which offers twelve customizable functions) and QuickNavi menus, though it's a bit too sensitive to inward pressure. One nice thing that Sony hasn't gotten rid of is the backlit LCD display on the top of the camera, which shows current settings, shots remaining, and battery life.
So what's changed since the original SLT-A77? The most obvious change is on the front: the giant red AF assist-lamp from the a77 is completely gone, with the a77 II's built-in flash now handling that function. The GPS receiver has been replaced with one for Wi-Fi, and there's now a spot for 'tapping' NFC devices on the opposite side of the body. The mode dial has been tweaked and the LCD now has extra white pixels (see below for both of those). Finally, the a77 II leaves the old Minolta hotshoe behind, and uses Sony's Multi Interface Shoe, which includes pins for optional microphones, in addition to a standard external flash connections.

In your hand

The a77 II is a decent sized DSLR, but ergonomically speaking its well-designed, with a nice grip and logically place controls (though there are many of them).

Despite being loaded with buttons and other controls, you won't accidentally press anything thanks to the good-sized thumb rest. The joystick is at the lower-left side of the rest and can be a bit fiddly at times.	The a77 II's grip is just the right size, giving it a secure feel in your hand. Most buttons on the top plate are easily reachable with your pointer finger, though the ISO button is a bit of a stretch.

Top of camera

The majority of the cosmetic changes between the a77 II and its predecessor can be found in the top-down view. The mode dial has been reworked, with the '3D' option on the a77 being replaced with three Memory Recall (MR) spots. There's also a locking mechanism which needs to be held down in order to rotate the dial.
At the center of the photo is the aforementioned Multi Interface Shoe, which supports 'regular' external flashes (instead of the old, proprietary Konica Minolta shoe) as well as accessories such as external mics. Oddly, though, it's not comptible with the XLR KM1 high-end microphone adapter unit. Above that is the stereo microphone, which records Dolby Digital (AC3) sound.
The buttons and display to the right are self-explanatory. The finder/monitor button can be used to override the eye sensor on the EVF, while the tiny button with the light bulb on it will illuminate the LCD info display.

Articulating LCD and OLED Electronic Viewfinder

The a77 II has the same, rather complex 3" articulated screen as its predecessor. It uses a swivel-and-tilt joint, that is itself affixed to an arm that folds out from the back of the camera. This allows a huge range of positions to be adopted, including setting the screen facing forwards over the top of the viewfinder housing or, for that matter, under the bottom of the camera.

The screen sits on an articulated joint, on an arm that can tilt up from the back of the camera

The a77 II now uses a WhiteMagic display, meaning that it has an extra pixel for white, in addition to red, green, and blue. WhiteMagic allows for better outdoor visibility and improved battery life. While the RGBW dot pattern boosts the total resolution of the display to 1.23M dots, the resolution (VGA) is no better than on the a77.
The electronic viewfinder, on the other hand, is unchanged. It's one of the best you'll find, thanks to its XGA resolution and OLED technology. The EVF is quite large, thanks to a 1.09X magnification, and frame coverage of 100% is just as you'd expect.
Because of the way viewfinders are measured (using a fixed lens, rather than a lens of equivalent magnification), you also need to take the sensor size into account, so the numbers in the diagram below are the manufacturer's specified magnifications divided by the respective 'crop factors'.

The Sony SLT a77 II's electronic viewfinder is large - on par with the optical finders of full-frame SLRs. This makes it substantially bigger than those in its APS-C SLR peers such as the Nikon D7100 or Canon EOS 70D.

The green squares in the diagram represent that 15 cross-type AF points, out of 79 total. The red square at the center is for lenses with a maximum apertures of F2.8 or faster, which results in more precise focusing.

Auto ISO

The A77 II has the same two-mode Auto ISO system that's been common on recent Sony cameras: a normal Auto ISO system and a JPEG-only system that takes three shots then combines them to reduce noise. The main Auto ISO system allows you to set the upper and lower limits for the ISO settings the camera can use, but gives no option to change the shutter speed at which it increases the camera's sensitivity.
In manual exposure mode, the camera matches the behavior of recent Sonys in continuing to offer Auto ISO mode. This is implemented in such a way that you can continue to apply exposure compensation, so that you can set aperture, shutter speed and image brightness, with the camera choosing an appropriate ISO to provide the specified result.

Body elements

	This Semi-transparent mirror is at the heart of Sony's SLT cameras. Light hits this mirror and approximately a third of the is sent upward to the AF sensor, while the rest continues on to the CMOS.
	The a77 has a built-in flash, which is released electronically. The flash has a guide number of 12 meters at ISO 100. It's also used as a focusing aid in low light, replacing the dedicated AF-assist lamp on the original a77.
	This dial, at the bottom-left of the camera's front plate, switches between manual, continuous, auto, and single autofocus mode.
	The mode dial has been redesigned and now features three Memory Recall (MR) slots. There's also a locking mechanism that requires you to hold the center button down in order to rotate the dial.
	One feature that has become increasingly rare on DSLRs is an LCD info display on the top plate. This backlit display shows things like aperture, shutter speed, drive mode, shots remaining, and battery life.
	The a77's electronic viewfinder is one of the best you'll find, with 2.36 million dots and a magnification 1.09x. An eye sensor automatically switches between the LCD and EVF. The diopter correction knob can be seen on the far right side.
	The joystick on the rear of the camera is your main tool for menu navigation. It's movement is a bit tight, and pressing inward accidentally can be an issue.
	The a77 II has a wide selection of I/O ports, including flash sync, remote control, DC-in (covered here), microphone, HDMI, and USB.
	As with its predecessor, the a77 II supports both SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick Pro Duo cards.
	The a77 II uses the familiar NP-FM500H battery, which dates back to the A700. The battery contains 11.8Wh of energy, which translates into 480 shots per charge with the LCD, and 410 with the EVF. That's a 10% drop compared to the original a77.

Shooting with the Sony A77

by Shawn Barnett

Right away, I could tell something was different. We'd heard the presentation, which sounded pretty good, but it wasn't until I held the Sony A77 that I knew something had changed. I felt the same way when I used the Sony A700, the camera the A77 replaces. I won't go too much into detail about my disappointment that the A700 went so long without an upgrade or successor; suffice it to say that I thought that camera was Sony's best chance at making a dent in the Canon/Nikon hegemony, and instead of addressing its few flaws, Sony was spending too much time trying to appeal to the consumer market, a place where Nikon and Canon dominate even more pervasively. I've long thought that to be successful in this market, Sony needed to impress the enthusiast first: Give them a real reason to switch, and some of the masses would begin to follow.
That reason, of course, appeared however stealthily in two other consumer cameras, the Sony A33 and A55: the Translucent Mirror Technology that enabled a high frame rate (7 and 10 fps) and continuous phase-detect autofocus from two sub-$1,000 cameras. But I wasn't sure these would get the attention needed to make a dent, worthy as the technology was. It just didn't seem like the message would get out, and the two cameras looked so much like EVF long zooms, I didn't think anyone would take them seriously. Despite that concern, searches for this line of cameras is reasonably high. But the real difference will come with the Sony A77. Capturing 24.3 megapixels at 12 frames per second changes everything. I haven't been this excited about a camera in some time, but based on my experience with the Sony A77, I'd buy one.
I've already outlined most of the user experience at the top of this review. To recap: The Sony A77 is comfortable to hold and use, button placement is excellent, and its relative similarity to other SLRs on the market makes me feel right at home.

Viewfinder versus LCD. Sony's fundamental translucent mirror technology means there's no optical viewfinder to use when framing your images, so Sony draws a live image off the sensor and displays it on a relatively large OLED screen inside the viewfinder. The effect is more advanced than you're used to seeing from LCD electronic viewfinders. Instead of the distracting grid of pixels that normally greet your eye, the OLED in the Sony A77 is smooth and fairly high resolution.
It's pretty good for framing images when indoors, and it even gains up nicely to help you see detail that you can't see with your eye (though the refresh rate slows a bit). But outdoors it's a different story. While we normally turn to optical viewfinders and even EVFs in bright light, I find my eye taking a little more time to adjust to the OLED EVF in the A77's viewfinder. A sensor over the viewfinder detects my eye and makes the switch between the LCD and EVF, but usually doesn't make the switch fast enough, leaving me first in the dark, then I see a screen that's a little too dark at first, then my eye adjusts. It's not a comfortable set of changes, going from very bright to very dark, then to somewhat bright, so most often I and my colleagues shied away from the EVF when out in daylight, preferring the LCD.

Shadow detail. I got much better shadow detail than the optical viewfinder suggested.

The other problem I had with the electronic viewfinder is a tendency for shadows to appear plugged in high-contrast situations like the one at right. All of the foreground shadow was quite black in the EVF, which is partly why I took this shot: I wanted to see how the sensor would handle the deep shadows. Turns out the sensor did just fine, but I had discovered another limitation of the OLED viewfinder. Because I was thinking about the shadows, I don't remember if the sky in this shot was blown, another common problem among EVFs in high-dynamic-range situations.

Play. The Sony A77's quick nature is great for getting the family at play.

The good news is that the Sony A77's articulating LCD is excellent in both bright and dim light. Its 921,600 dots make another smooth image, one that seems to be transflective, or both transmissive and reflective. Sunlight striking its surface reflects back in relatively bright color that is quite a bit better than trying to read some LCDs through a dark cover-glass. Its unique swiveling mechanism is tough to describe, but I found myself using it a lot as I shot both cars and kids, because both benefit from shooting at a lower angle. At first it seems to be hinged at the bottom like past Sony designs, but then a horizontal hinge not unlike that used on Sony's NEX cameras swings out from the back, allowing the LCD a much greater range of motion. It can even face forward from the top or bottom. The joints are hinged with enough stiffness that the LCD stays where you leave it, so it's versatile. Figuring out which way to turn it for maximum effectiveness isn't obvious at first. When shooting low and vertically, I first swiveled the the LCD down, then to the right, so that the LCD faced upward with my right hand on the grip. However, it was often very difficult to frame images, because when I moved the camera left or right, the image moved in or out. The key is to use the second hinge. Swiveling that out presses the left edge of the LCD up against the EVF's rubber cup, and the image then matches: moving the camera left moves the image left, and moving right moves the image right.

Source
DPReview Sony SLT-A77 II Reviews
Imaging-Resource Sony SLT-A77 II Reviews
Official Website

Where to Buy
Official Website $1.399,99 - $1.699,99 Sony a77 DSLR Camera and Lens
$1,198.00 Amazon Sony A77II Digital SLR Camera - Body Only*free shipping
$1,399.95 Amazon Sony Alpha SLT-A77 Translucent Mirror Technology Digital SLR Camera Body & 16-50mm Lens with 2 Sony 32GB Cards + 2 Batteries + Backpack Case + Filter + Remote + Accessory Kit*+ $19.95 shipping
$1,270.70 Amazon Sony SLT-A77 24.3 MP Digital SLR with Translucent Mirror Technology. Includes Sony 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 DT Standard Zoom & 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DT Alpha A-Mount Telephoto Zoom Lenses. 2 UV Filters, 16GB Memory Card, Tripod & More*free shipping 
$1,198.00 GearShop Sony a77 Mark II DSLR Camera(Body)

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art is a fast 'normal' lens designed for full frame SLRs, and one of the most hotly-anticipated lenses of 2014. Sigma shook up the moribund 'fast 50' sector back in March 2008 when it announced the 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM, which we considered to be 'Highly Recommended' for its excellent optics, especially at larger apertures. This marked the start of string of excellent fast primes from the Japanese lens maker, including last year's stellar 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art (another winner of our top award).
The latest 50mm is unusually large and expensive for its type; indeed its $950 / £850 price tag suggests Sigma is aiming at users who might otherwise choose the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm F1.4G or Canon EF 50mm F1.2L USM. It bears a distinct family resemblance to the company's 35mm F1.4, but if anything is slightly larger, with a 100mm / 4" long barrel and 77mm filter thread. Its complex optical formula of 13 elements in 8 groups isn't based on a conventional double-Gauss design, like most 50mm primes are, but instead is of the retrofocal type.
This set of characteristics, along with Sigma's recent track record of making impressive optics, means that the 50mm F1.4 Art has inevitably invited comparison to the astounding Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 - quite possibly the sharpest lens we've yet seen. However given that lens's $4000 price tag, it seems a little optimistic to expect quite the same qualities. But the Sigma offers autofocus via a ring-type ultrasonic motor (with full-time manual override), which means it wins out on practicality.

Headline features

• 50mm focal length
• Fast F1.4 maximum aperture
• Ring-type ultrasonic autofocus motor with full-time manual override
• Internal focus design
• Will be available in Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony Alpha, and Sigma SA mounts

Size and Design

The 50mm F1.4 Art is quite different from any previous autofocus 50mm F1.4 for full frame, and much more similar in size and optical design to a typical 35mm F1.4 lens. This means it's almost twice the length, and three times the weight of the more traditional double-Gauss designs from Canon and Nikon. It's also substantially larger than either the older Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM, or the Sony Carl Zeiss Planar T* 50mm F1.4 ZA SSM, both of which are pretty sizeable for a 'fast normal' prime.

Here you can see how much larger the Sigma 50mm F1.4 is compared to a traditional design the Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM. For some potential buyers, this extra bulk may be reason enough to discount the Sigma.	Mount the 50mm F1.4 on a full frame SLR, though, and it handles perfectly well. Its bulk will probably discourage any attempt at one-handed shooting though.

Click here for a specification comparison between the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art and some other similar lenses (opens in new window/tab)

Lens test data

The Sigma's price means that we expect it to be used mainly on full frame cameras, so we're going to concentrate on analysing this aspect of its performance in this initial short report. As, usual, though, we're also making data for APS-C available - click here to see test results from the EOS 7D. We're looking at a Canon-mount lens simply because that's the first version to go on the market (and therefore be available to test).
The Sigma performs exceptionally well on full frame; it may not quite match the Zeiss Otus 55mm F1.4 for sharpness at maximum aperture, but it outperforms anything else in its class for which we have data, including Nikon's recent AF-S Nikkor 58mm F1.4G. Particularly remarkable is its extraordinarily low distortion.

Sharpness	Sharpness is very impressive indeed. At F1.4 it's unusually high for a 50mm prime, and deteriorates only slightly from the centre to the corners. By F2.8 it's extremely sharp right across the frame, to the extent that these measurements are probably limited more by the EOS 5D Mark III's 22MP sensor than by the lens. There's hardly any change on stopping down to F8, but beyond this the softening effect of diffraction inevitably kicks in. However even F16 should give entirely usable results when extended depth of field is necessary.
Chromatic Aberration	Lateral chromatic aberration is extremely low. There might be a little green/magenta fringing right in the corners of the frame if you really go looking for it, but it's unlikely to be problematic in normal use.
Vignetting	Vignetting is kept well under control, at just 1.5 stops wide open, which is very respectable for an F1.4 prime. The falloff profile is rather gradual too, which tends to make any vignetting less visually objectionable. Stop down to F2, and any vignetting effectively disappears.
Distortion	Distortion is astonishingly low, with just the barest hint of pincushion stretching at the extreme corners of the frame. This marks the Sigma apart from other 50mm full frame primes, which all tend to show some degree of barrel distortion.

To really appreciate just how good the Sigma is, we need to look at how it compares to other similar lenses (click on the yellow links to open up comparison widgets in a new window). The benchmark right now is the Zeiss Otus 1.4/55, and while the Sigma can't quite match it for outright sharpness right across the frame wide open, it's extremely close. Indeed when tested on the 22MP Canon EOS 5D Mark III, it's clear that the MTF measurements for both lenses are being limited as much by the camera's resolution than the lens itself, even at maximum aperture. In other respects the gap is also very narrow, with the Sigma having slightly higher chromatic aberration, but less vignetting and lower distortion than the Zeiss.
Now let's take a look at some other premium fast primes. The Sigma is simply much sharper at maximum aperture than the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 58mm F1.4G (despite being tested here on a lower-resolution camera), and has far lower distortion too. We see a similar story compared to the Canon EF 50mm F1.2L USM; the Sigma is sharper, has notably lower later chromatic aberration, and of course practically no distortion at all. It's also worth noting that the 50mm outperforms its much-lauded sibling, the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art, in every attribute we're measuring here.
Compared to more-conventional 50mm F1.4s, the Sigma also shines. It's substantially sharper than either the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G or the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM at apertures larger than about F5.6, and has lower chromatic aberration, vignetting and distortion than either of these lenses too. It's much the same story with Sigma's previous 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM; the new model is much sharper wide open, and clearly better in the corners of the frame at intermediate apertures. Of course these lenses are all much less expensive - but this shows why.

Summary

From the lab test results, the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art goes a long way to living up the high expectations that have been placed on it. Indeed it's one of the best-performing lenses of its type, bettered only by the much-more expensive Zeiss Otus 1.4/55 - and even then, not by all that much. We'll be expanding this report into a full review as soon as possible, in which we'll be analysing its real-world behaviour and looking at the less-tangible aspects of image quality, but just right now, we're very impressed indeed.

Image Samples Gallery

We've had an early sample of the 50mm F1.4 DG HSM for a couple of days, long enough to put together a quick initial samples gallery. We've concentrated on large-aperture shots to show sharpness and bokeh, but have also thrown in several images shot at smaller apertures too.
There are 31 images in the samples gallery. Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), we do so in good faith, please don't abuse it.

Source

Where to Buy
$949.00 Amazon Sigma 311205 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Sony Alpha Cameras*free shipping (Sony)

$949.00 Amazon Sigma 311110 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Sigma SA Cameras*free shipping (Sigma)
$949.00 Amazon Sigma 311306 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Nikon Cameras*free shipping (Nikon)

$949.00 Amazon Sigma 311101 50mm F1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Canon Cameras*free shipping (Canon)

Although there has been some overlap, digital SLR development has gone through some quite distinct phases.
Initially the battle was to produce affordable models, and once this was achieved manufacturers turned their attention to producing cameras with higher pixel counts. This was followed by a push in sensitivity levels and improved low-light performance.

During these development phases camera functionality has also expanded, with manufacturers capitalising upon the benefits of digital technology and introducing features such as Live View, video and dynamic range optimisation systems. Now, there's a drive to make these increasingly complex and versatile SLRs easier to use, while at the same time helping photographers be more creative.

The Nikon D5100, which serves as the Nikon D5000 replacement, typifies this era in DSLR evolution.
It may not have the 24 million pixels of the Nikon D3200, but for many the D5100's 16.2 million pixels is enough. In addition, the D5100 has an articulated 3-inch LCD screen, Special Effects and fully automated Scene modes, along with the more advanced PSAM exposure modes.
So on paper, it seems to offer pretty much everything the aspiring photographer could wish for, with plenty of opportunity to take creative images. Let's see.

Features

As Nikon's D5000 replacement, the Nikon D5100 sits above the Nikon D3100 and D3200, but below the D7000 in the lineup of Nikon DSLRs. It costs £550 in the UK and $750 in the US for the body only.

From left to right: the Nikon D3100, D3200 and D5100

Yet the Nikon D5100 features the same 16.2-million-pixel CMOS sensor and EXPEED 2 processor as the Nikon D7000. This means raw images are saved as 14-bit files and users can expect similar quality results with the two cameras.
However, like the Nikon D5000 it replaces, the D5100's white balance and metering systems use information from a 420-pixel RGB sensor (the D7000 uses a 2,016 pixel RGB device) and its autofocus (AF) system has 11 points.

While it may not have the 39 points of the D7000's AF system, the D5100's Multi-CAM 1000 AF module performed well in the D5000 and Nikon D90 (which has not been discontinued; read our Nikon D90 review).
Like the D7000, the D5100's native sensitivity can be set from ISO 100 to 6400, and there are four expansion settings topping out at the equivalent of ISO 25,600 (Hi 2). On those rare occasions when this is not high enough, Nikon D5100 users can select the Night Vision Special Effect mode, which pushes the sensitivity to ISO 102,400.
This value is only matched by top-end DSLRs such as Nikon's full-frame D3s. However, while the D3s can shoot in colour at ISO 102,400, the D5100 can only record monochrome images.

In manual exposure or shutter priority mode when the shutter speed is 1/250sec or faster, the Nikon D5100 can shoot continuously at a maximum rate of 4fps for around 100 highest quality JPEGs or 20 raw images or 12 simultaneous raw and JPEG files when a class 6 SD card such as a SanDisk Extreme III is installed.
While this is impressive for a camera of this level, keen action photographers may look enviously at the 6fps shooting offered by the D7000. It's also worth bearing in mind that it takes around 1 min 50 sec for the D5100 to write 100 Fine JPEGs to the SD card.
Perhaps the most noticeable upgrade that the Nikon D5100 makes on the D5000 is with the LCD, which goes from being a 2.7-inch 230,000 dot display to a 3-inch 920,000 dot screen. This matches the size and resolution of the D7000's screen and it should make a significant difference when using Live View and focusing manually.

It was something of a disappointment that the D7000 doesn't have an articulated screen, but Nikon has not made this mistake with the Nikon D5100. Unlike the D5000, however, which had the articulation join at the bottom on the screen, the D5100's screen is hinged on the left. This makes the screen easier to use when the camera is on a tripod.

In addition to the Active D-Lighting (ADL) dynamic range optimisation system that we now expect with Nikon SLRs, the Nikon D5100 has an HDR (high dynamic range) mode. When this is selected the camera takes two exposures, one over and one under the 'correct' exposure and merges them automatically into a single image with more shadow and highlight detail than normal. It could prove useful in high contrast conditions if the effect is subtle and not overtly 'HDR'.

Although there's a lot packed into the D5100, including full HD (1080p) video and multiple exposure capability, Nikon seems proudest of its Effects modes. These allow the user to apply special effects (Night Vision, Color Sketch, Miniature, Selective Color, Silhouette, High Key and Low Key) to images as they are captured – rather than post capture as with the Nikon D3100 and D7000.
Furthermore, the impact of these effects can be seen on the screen when the camera is in Live View mode. While these are fun and allow the user to create some interesting images, it's disappointing that its not possible to save raw files at the same time as the JPEGs when these effect options are selected.

Build and handling

When gripping and squeezing the Nikon D5100 a little harder than strictly necessary it becomes clear that it is, on the whole, very well built. It feels nicely put together and designed to last.
The question mark is over the SD card port cover that, when closed, still moves under a tapping finger. It's not a major point, but it doesn't quite match the high quality feel of the rest of the camera.

• Buy Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera Body Only at Value Basket for £268.99

One knock-on effect of the success of compact system cameras appears to be that SLR manufacturers are making smaller cameras. Hence, at 128 x 97 x 79mm and weighing in at around 560g (with battery and card) the D5100 is approximately 10% smaller and lighter than the D5000 it replaces and the articulated screen is 17% thinner.

From left to right: Nikon D3100, D3200 and D5100

This and the larger LCD screen has meant that Nikon has had to make a few changes to the D5000's control layout for the D5100. It would certainly be hard to find room for any additional buttons on the rear of the D5100 without seriously limiting space for the photographer's thumb.
Perhaps the most significant difference in the control layout between the two cameras is that the Live View button found on the rear of the D5000 has gone and instead the D5100 has a sprung lever switch underneath the main mode dial.

This switch feels well made and the D5100 responds quickly to its use, but given that using Live View means looking at the screen, it is debatable whether moving its activation control to the top-plate is the best solution. It's easy to mistake it for the camera's power switch.
Similarly, movie recording is now started and stopped by pressing the dedicated button, which is also on the camera's top-plate. Nikon would argue that there is logic to putting the shooting or recording buttons close together.

Also, because the D5100 has an articulated screen, you may find you more often view the camera from above than you would with a camera with a fixed screen, and the top-plate controls are easier to locate when shooting in this way.
Although the screen provides a clear view of the image being composed and the magnified view has enough detail to facilitate manual focus, reflections are an issue in bright sunlight. While it is still possible to compose the image accurately, and the shade of a hand will ensure enough detail is visible for manual focusing, it can sometimes be tricky to make out some of the smaller on-screen icons.
As the viewfinder offers just 95% coverage (standard for a camera of this level), there is scope for a few surprises around the image frame.
On the plus side, however, even with the AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G kit lens, the view is bright and clear enough to allow manual focusing – although in many instances it may be better to do this while looking at the magnified Live View image.
When the Color Sketch or Miniature Special Effects modes are activated on the screen the Live View image becomes very jerky, presumably because of the demand on the D5100's processing power.

Nevertheless, the effects are easy to use and generally work well, although a grainy monochrome mode might be preferable to the Color Sketch mode. It would also be nice to have control over the exposure or at least exposure compensation when these modes are selected.
Small niggles aside, the Nikon D5100 is easy to get to grips with, and while there might not be direct control for aspects such as sensitivity, drive mode, white balance and metering, these and more can be accessed quickly via the Information Display.

Performance

Chroma noise is much less of an issue in high sensitivity images than it used to be, and it's impressive just how little coloured speckling is visible in images captured with the D5100 in its highest ISO setting, ISO 25,600 (equivalent) when noise reduction is set to the default Normal value.
At 100% on screen (or at actual pixels in Photoshop), there is some fairly subtle false colouring visible, and there's an obvious speckled texture of luminance noise, but the images are still usable and many cases would make decent A3 (23.4 x 16.5-inch) prints.

• Buy Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera Body Only at Value Basket for £268.99

As we would expect, images improve significantly when the sensitivity settings is kept below the expansions settings and while there is a dip in the level of detail resolved at ISO 6400, the results are still very respectable.

In the past Nikon's auto white balance (AWB) system has been accused of being a little too accurate, so that warm light is rendered neutral and some of the atmosphere of the scene is lost. The Nikon D5100's AWB system seems to fare a little better on this score, but there is a tendency for it to make scenes captured under hazy sunshine look a little too yellow.
This is especially noticeable with landscapes containing lush, green grass, but it is effectively countered by switching from the Standard Picture Control mode to Landscape mode, since this boosts greens and blues.
Nikon has some of the best phase detection AF systems around, and the D5100's doesn't disappoint. Paired with a Nikkor AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, it proved up to the job of keeping pace with cars moving at 80mph on a race track.

The contrast detection system available in Live View mode is also good, only struggling to find sharp focus in fairly low light or when the subject is very close. That said, the subject tends to glide into sharp register rather than snapping into focus as it does with the phase detection system.
There's very little to say about the D5100's metering system, apart from it works very well. Although the exposure compensation facility still comes in handy occasionally, in its Matrix mode the system usually takes brighter or darker than average subjects in its stride. The camera's dynamic range is also good, so highlight and shadow detail isn't lost earlier than it should be.
All things considered, the Nikon D5100 is a very capable camera.

Sample Image

Click here to see the full resolution image
Using Selective Color mode, we selected the colour from the bluebell flower.

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Selective Color mode, with colour selected from the primrose yellow

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Miniature effect

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Monochrome Picture control mode set to the highest contrast level (+3)

Source
Engadget Nikon D5100 Reviews (Critic Reviews 8.2/10, User Reviews 8.7/10)
PC Mag Nikon D5100 Reviews (4.5/5)
Techradar Nikon D5100 Reviews (4/5)
Official Website

Where to Buy

$449.95 Fumfie Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera With 18-55mm VR Lens*free shipping

$699.99 Amazon Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens*free shipping

$599.95 Amazon Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3-Inch Vari-Angle LCD Monitor (Body Only)*free shipping

$703.75 Amazon Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera with Nikon 18-55mm VR Lens And Nikon 55-200mm VR Lens + .43x Wide Angle Lens, 2.2x Telephoto Lens, 3 Piece Multi-Coated Filter Kit, Lens Hood, SLR Slave Flash, 8GB SD Memory Card, USB Card Reader, Backpack, Tripod and SSE Microfiber Cleaning Cloth*free shipping

After the announcement of the full-frame E-mount Sony A7, A7R and A7S compact system cameras and the demise of the Nex brand, you could be forgiven for thinking that Sony may not continue with its A-mount SLT (single lens translucent) cameras. However, the Sony Alpha 77 II proves this not to be the case.
As you might guess, the Alpha 77 Mk2 replaces the Alpha 77, which is now discontinued, and it has an almost identical shape and design. The new camera is aimed at enthusiast photographers who want a step-up from an entry-level model.

Features

Like the Alpha 77, the A77 Mark II has a 24 million-pixel sensor, but this is a new device that benefits from the progress that has been made with sensor design in the two-and-half-plus years since the A77 first arrived.
For the first time in an A-mount camera, the signal from the Exmor sensor is processed by a Bionz X processor. This should mean that the A77 Mark II is capable of resolving a high level of detail and controlling noise at high sensitivity settings.
Sensitivity may be set in the native range ISO 100-25,600 for still images, with a low expansion setting of ISO 50 being availble. The movie sensitivity range is a bit narrower, going from ISO 100 to 12,800.
As the SLT design has a fixed translucent mirror, the A77 Mark II has an electronic rather than optical viewfinder. Sony has used the same 2.3 million-dot OLED Tru-Finder as is found in the A7 and 7R, which is good news since this provides a clear, detailed view.
This viewfinder also allows enlargement to assist with manual focusing and can display focus peaking and zebras to indicate areas of highest contrast (sharpness).

One of the benefits of the SLT design is that there can be full-time phase detection autofocus during movie shooting and when composing images on the rear screen. Sony has used a newly developed phase detection sensor in the Alpha 77 Mark II. This has 79 AF points, 15 of which are the more sensitive cross-type. In comparison, the original A77 has 19 AF points of which 11 are cross-type.
The new camera can also shoot a maximum rate of 12 frames per second (fps) with AF tracking and the buffer has capacity to allow up to 25 raw and JPEG images to be captured in a single burst. The original Alpha 77 could only cope with 11 images in a burst at 12fps. If raw file recording is deactivated, the A77 Mark II can record around 53 Extra Fine JPEGs in one blast.
Although autofocusing and auto exposure continues when shooting at 12fps, aperture is locked at the start of the sequence. If exposure needs to change during the burst it is done via shutter speed or sensitivity.
Sony is rather proud of the progress it has made with the autofocusing system for the A77 Mark II. We're told that five engineers conducted field tests for six months with high-end cameras like the Canon EOS-1DX, Canon 70D, Nikon D4, Nikon D7100 and Panasonic GH3, in order to find the best parameters for AF while shooting a variety of sports and action.
Sensor development means that the A77 Mark II's CCD AF sensor produces less electronic noise than previous devices and this helps with autofocusing speed and accuracy as well as boosting low-light performance. Spot AF performance is also claimed to have been improved with weighting given to the centre of the spot.

The A77 Mark II has a collection of AF-point selection options including Wide, Zone, Flexible Spot, Local, Expanded Flexible Spot and Lock-on AF. In Expanded Flexible Spot mode the photographer selects one AF point and the camera supports this with the surrounding 8 points. In Zone AF mode the AF points are divided into 9 zones for selection.
Lock-on AF allows the user to specify how quickly the camera responds to changes in subject distance. In the past this was located in the menu, but it has been moved to the AF Mode selection area to make it quicker and easier to find.
According to Sony, almost all of its A-mount lenses are compatible with the 79 AF points, but only 61 are available when shooting at 12fps. Sony's 500mm f/8 lens is a notable, but not surprising, exception and it will only allow the center AF point to be used.
Other pleasant additions to the Alpha 77 Mark II's featureset include an HDMI port that can supply clean video output to external storage devices and Wi-Fi connectivity. As the A77 Mark II has an NFC chip, owners of NFC enabled smartphones and tablets can connect to the camera by touching the two devices together.
Interestingly, despite the presence of Wi-Fi connectivity, the A77 Mark II cannot make use of aSony PlayMemories Camera apps.

Build quality and handling

Close comparison of a pre-production sample Alpha 77 Mark II with the original Alpha 77 reveals few obvious differences. The two cameras have the same overall shape and control layout and the vertical grip that was produced for the original A77 can be used with the new camera.
There is a slight difference to the new camera's mode dial, however: it has a lock button to prevent it from being knocked out of position. The hotshoe has also been changed from the Sony (Minolta) proprietary shape to the more common universal style. It has also been upgraded to make it a multi-shoe capable of accepting a range of accessories.
In addition, the function (Fn) button has a greater range of customisation options.
Like the camera it replaced, the Alpha 77 Mark II feels pretty tough and durable. The grip on the front of the camera is deep and generously sized to provide a comfortable hold. There are also plenty of buttons and dials to give direct access to many of the key features, as befits an enthusiast-level camera.
Strangely, Sony has continued with having the 12fps shooting option located on the mode dial. Given the rethinking about the AF options, we might have expected this to be part of the drive mode options. Sony's explanation is that it's a major feature of the camera and that there are aspects such as the aperture locking at the start of the shoot that need to be considered.
On the back of the camera is a three-inch vari-angle screen, which provides a detailed, clear view of the scene, but isn't touch-sensitive. Its resolution, however, has been boosted from 921,000 dots to 1,228,000 dots.
As on the Sony A7 and 7R, the 2.3-million dot electronic viewfinder is bright and clear with plenty of detail visible.

Performance

As yet we have only been able to use a sample of the Sony Alpha 77 Mark II for a short while, but we have been able to look at a few images from it, which are published on the next page.
The early signs are good, and Sony's strong reputation for sensor design and image processing looks set to continue. However, some of the images captured at the lower sensitivity settings have slight coloured speckling that is visible at 100% on-screen. They look very good at normal veiwing sizes however, and there's plenty of detail in shots taken in the low to middle sensitivity range.
Our initial images taken at the highest sensitivity level (ISO 25,600) also look good at normal viewing sizes, although there is smoothing of noise evident at 100% on screen. I'm looking forward to testing the camera in a wider range of light levels.
Colours look natural direct from the camera and the automatic white balance copes well with a mixture of natural and artificial light.
Naturally, we have also seen some of Sony's sample images from the A77 Mark II and they look good, prompting Sony to claim that noise levels are lower than from competing cameras.
Sony's Bionz X processing engine has diffraction reducing technology to improve JPEG resolution and sharpness and it will be interesting to see how this impacts upon image quality from the A77 Mark II in comparison with the A77.
We haven't been able to test the A77MK2's autofocusing system fully by any means, but my initial impressions are very good. It seems fast and accurate even in subdued light and is capable of keeping a moving subject sharp. It also follows faces around the frame accurately.

Early verdict

While the changes made with the Alpha 77 Mark II may not seem dramatic, Sony has worked on the most important aspects – the sensor and processor – to boost speed and image quality.
Many will recognise that it's sensible to stick with the same pixel count as with the Alpha 77, as 24 million captures enough detail for most purposes and allows big prints to be made. The files are also large without being unmanageable by the average modern computer.
We're looking forward to getting a full-production sample of the A77 Mk II in so that we can test the improved autofocus system and see if it is a match for a high-end SLR's when shooting sport and action.
Naturally, we'll also investigate all other aspects of image quality including exposure metering, white balance and colour, but given Sony's claims we'll be paying particularly close attention to the noise levels at high sensitivity values. We're also looking forward to putting the AF system through its paces.

Sample Image

This ISO 800 image has a very impressive level of detail.

Though smoothing is visible when the image is viewed at 100% on-screen, this ISO 25,600 image looks very good at more normal viewing sizes.

Colours are rich, yet natural and there's a pleasing level of contrast straight from the camera.

The A77 Mark II has handled the exposure well here, and there's plenty of detail in the feathers on this bird.

The A77 Mark II's metering system has concentrated on the most important aspect of this scene and not been overly put-off by the bright sky.

There's some coloured speckling visible in the shadow areas of this ISO 250 image.

Source