- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Nikon D600
- Nikon D800
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Sony SLT A57
- Canon EOS 6D
Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)Sony is certainly confident about it, suggesting that it's close enough to the quality of a high-end optical viewfinder that the advantages (the ability to preview exposure and white balance, or to gain-up for working in low light), outweigh the areas in which it isn't as good.
Rated 82% by by c|net (Jan, 2012)It refreshes fast enough for comfortable continuous shooting as well.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Sony SLT-A99 compared to the Sony SLT A77
MP24
Full frame
Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)Each style can be adjusted for contrast, sharpness and saturation.
24 MP
APS-C
Rated 82% by by c|net (Jan, 2012)Though it's actually lighter than its competitors, the A77V is still a relatively heavy camera, especially when equipped with the also-heavy 16-50mm lens.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24 MP   | 30 MP |
SLT-A99 by DPReview (Dec, 2012)The A99's JPEG performance on our resolution chart is about what you'd expect from a Bayer sensor at this resolution, with the ability to resolve detail up to about 2800LPH.
SLT A77 by Photography Blog (Dec, 2011)The Sony A77 can shoot full-resolution 24.3 megapixel pictures at up to 12fps whilst maintaining continuous auto focus and auto exposure, an impressively fast rate for such a relatively inexpensive camera.
sensor size
SLT-A99 by D.-F.-Watt--dfwattOverall, this is an appealing choice for individuals looking to upgrade from Sony APS-C models or other subframe DSLRs to full frame cameras - if they are willing to pay the hefty cost and weight penalties, in order to get the extra picture quality at high ISO, along with somewhat better speed of operation and an improved autofocus system.
SLT A77 by David-Pierce (Apr, 2012)The A77 uses the exact same 24.3-megapixel APS-C sensor as the NEX-7, and to similar effect: its photos look fantastic.
viewfinder size
SLT-A99 by T-Payne--t_payneI personally like the EVF a lot and appreciate the fact that I can see the white balance of my picture as it will actually be captured, I can see the picture I just took right in the viewfinder (great for bright outdoors) and the clarity and realism of what you see through that thing is remarkable.
SLT A77 by David-Pierce (Apr, 2012)Colors are accurate and clear (even though they don't always look it in the viewfinder), and details are remarkably well-produced — even shadows and reflections in windows came out crystal clear.
body size
147 x 111 x 78 mm
143 x 104 x 81 mm
SLT-A99 by DPReview (Dec, 2012)What's more noteworthy, is that such a solid construction weighs in at only 812g, making it noticeably lighter than both the Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III.
focus points
| 0 | 19 | 20 |
SLT-A99 by DPReview (Dec, 2012)As you reduce the focus range, fewer and fewer of the camera's 121 focus points will light up yellow, letting you isolate your subject and prevent the lens hunting outside that range.
SLT A77 by Photography Blog (Dec, 2011)The shutter-release has a definite half-way point, with the focus points (a choice of 19 with with 11 cross sensors to maximize precision for both vertical and horizontal subjects) rapidly illuminating green in the viewfinder and a confirmation bleep signaling that focus and exposure has been determined and the user is free to go on and take the shot.
Performance Real world tests of Sony SLT-A99 vs Sony SLT A77
DxOMark image quality
SLT-A99 by T-Payne--t_paynePicture quality is frankly fantastic although I have to defer that discussion to the labs and their special equipment with phD-type people in white lab coats to tell you more.
SLT A77 by D.-Pierce--pierce324 (Nov, 2011)It also makes a couple of steps ahead in color accuracy and dynamic range.
DxOMark low light performance
SLT-A99 by Tim-Naff--TimOf the three similar options (the other two are Handheld Twilight and Night Scene) on the cameras, MFNR is my favorite.
SLT A77 by PA-PA-Jossey (Nov, 2011)I first test all my cameras in low light conditions because I love using natural light for most of my photo's when I can.
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 124 ms | 200 ms |
SLT-A99 by Tim-Naff--TimLower noise means more than the ability to work in low light: it means you can shoot at higher f-number when you need depth of focus and at faster shutter speed (SS) when you need to minimize camera-shake blur (e.g., with long lenses or low SS), or freeze action.
SLT A77 by David-Pierce (Apr, 2012)The shutter lag is so low that I actually had trouble only capturing one frame if I was in a continuous shooting mode — by the time I’d pressed and released the shutter, I’d taken more like three or four frames.
continuous shooting
SLT-A99 by DPReview (Dec, 2012)One distinct disadvantage to current EVF technology is that when shooting bursts at higher frame rates, you are not seeing a live preview, rather the frames you have just captured.
SLT A77 by Joe-Stealthmode (Nov, 2011)I've checked timestamps and have a couple of bursts that were 12 per second.
battery life
500 photos
530 photos
SLT-A99 by Alex-Parker (Feb, 2013)I haven't shot to exhaustion on the a99 yet, but under the same conditions (manual focus, EVF 70% of the time) I took about 500 shots on one of the days and showed just under 30% battery life.
SLT A77 by Photography Blog (Dec, 2011)On the bottom of the camera is a compartment for the lithium-ion battery that supplies an impressive life-span of 470 images with the viewfinder or 530 images in Live View mode, plus a metal tripod socket that's in-line with the centre of the lens mount.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the SLT A77
| Much larger sensor | Full frame | vs | APS-C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 2.5x larger sensor; higher quality photos | |||
| Much higher resolution screen | 1,229 k dots | vs | 921 k dots |
| More than 30% higher resolution screen | |||
| Significantly better overall image quality | 89.0 | vs | 78.0 |
| More than 10% better image quality | |||
| Much less startup delay | 700 ms | vs | 3,100 ms |
| 4.4x less startup delay; Be ready for anything | |||
| Significantly more color depth | 25.0 bits | vs | 24.0 bits |
| Almost the same | |||
| Marginally more recently announced | Aug, 2012 | vs | Aug, 2011 |
| Announced date 11 months later | |||
| Less noise at high ISO | 1,555 ISO | vs | 801 ISO |
| More than 90% higher low light performance | |||
| Better dynamic range | 14.0 ev | vs | 13.2 ev |
| Around 10% better dynamic range | |||
| Thinner | 78 mm | vs | 81 mm |
| Almost the same | |||
Advantages compared to the SLT-A99
| Create realistic 3D images | Yes | vs | No |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somewhat common; Create 3D photos to view on a 3D TV | |||
| Significantly faster rapid fire | 12 fps | vs | 6 fps |
| 2x faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
| More highly reviewed by consumers | 87.01% | vs | 85.25% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Much better display resolution | 2,400 k dots | vs | 2,360 k dots |
| Almost the same | |||
| Slightly bigger viewfinder | 0.72x | vs | 0.71x |
| Almost the same | |||
| Lighter | 732 g | vs | 812 g |
| Around 10% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Sony SLT-A99 | Sony SLT A77 | ||
 |   Rated by 26 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Tim-Naff--Tim Rated 100% by by Tim-Naff--Tim Rated 100% by by Tim-Naff--Tim | Rated by 110 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by RogerB (Dec, 2011) Rated 80% by by Robert-E.-Newsome (Jan, 2012) Rated 100% by by David-L.-Griffin (Feb, 2012) | |
|---|---|---|---|
sensor
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 60% by by Shawn-C. (Nov, 2012)ISO 6400 is very usable and I find myself not reaching for my 58AM flash as quickly, and the low light video is considerably improved over the A77.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 80% by by D.-F.-Watt--dfwattKeep in mind that low light ability is really the only major/substantive advantage that full frame pro cameras have over 24 MP APS-C models like the Sony A77/65 (putting aside the EVF/OVF debate).
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 80% by by D.-F.-Watt--dfwattAt ISO 3200, the A99 is capable of generating remarkably clean and smooth pictures with minimal noise and much detail.
size
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)This 1.5x crop mimics the field of view of an APS-C camera like the A77, albeit at a lower resolution.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 80% by by D.-F.-Watt--dfwattSony is clearly no longer content to make compacts, or even just appealing subframe competition in the APS-C segment - the Sony A99 is their flagship model and technology showcase.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)With the A99, Sony brings the same high-resolution Trufinder 2 OLED display found in the A77, NEX-7 and NEX-6 to a full frame model.
iso
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 100% by by Tim-Naff--TimAs I continue to develop my dexterity in control of aperture, SS, and ISO (using the A99's Silent Multi-controller in conjunction with the usual front and back control dials set as I describe below), I become more wedded to the EVF because I can control so many things simultaneously and see the effects on my exposure in real time.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 100% by by Tim-Naff--TimI've found that shooting RAW, I get excellent images at ISO 6400 with an A99.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 60% by by Shawn-C. (Nov, 2012)ISO 3200 and even 6400 are very usable and I'd say it seems like almost 2 full stops better than the A77.
image quality
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 100% by by James-D.-LaPiana (Dec, 2012)The a99 definitely has great low light/high iso performance, easily 2 stops better than my a900, and the dynamic range and colors are outstanding.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 60% by by Shawn-C. (Nov, 2012)As an A77 shooter, this camera is a big upgrade as far as low light and image quality in my opinion.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 100% by by Warren-Roos (Jan, 2013)I'm very happy that the poor low light performance of the A900 is gone with the A99 (6400 images are nice).
controls
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)The A99 is essentially a very slightly scaled-up A77, with almost no changes made to the control layout.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)In terms of external design, the SLT-A99 is essentially a very slightly scaled-up SLT-A77, sharing a largely identical control layout with its APS-C sibling.
Sony SLT-A99 | Rated 84% by by DPReview (Dec, 2012)As with the A77, Sony adds a wide array of external controls to the optional grip for the A99.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Nikon D600 Least noise at high ISO |
 | 2 | Nikon D800 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 3 | Canon EOS 5D Mark III Many many cross-type focus points |
 | 4 | Sony SLT A57 Rated the best by consumers |
 | 5 | Canon EOS 6D OK benchmarked shot to shot times |
 | 6 | Canon EOS 60D Most shots per battery charge |
 | 7 | Sony Alpha NEX-6 Many more phase-detection focus points |
 | 8 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 OK viewfinder |
Popular Questions
September 7, 2012
When is the Sony SLT A99 Available and should I wait on the A77?
Just looking to take the plunge on a Sony SLT A77. Is the A99 going to be comparable in terms of pricing? When will the A99 be available to purchase?
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January 8, 2013
Low-Light Pictures
Hello: For Low-Light photography, is it more advisable to purchase the A99 because of it's low noise at high ISO, or purchase the A77 with a better lens (i.e. CZ 85mm f1.4)?
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Answers December 22, 2012
Relative price countig features
Y when enlargingShooting photos for family & friends but like qualit
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Answers Sony SLT-A99
Sony SLT A77
Fabian-L-schner 
Beginner II
The a99 should be available in late October and will be priced at 2,799$ The biggest advantage of the a99 is the full frame sensor which allows better image quality in darker environments. The -... View Fabian-L-schner's recommendation
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- September 12, 2012
- Reply to: When is the Sony SLT A99 Available and should I wait on the A77?
