The Sony A33 Digital Camera Review

November 9, 2010 Featured, News, Sony 63

The Sony A-33 DSLR Camera Review

By Steve Huff

These past two weeks have been crazy. I have been working more than ever on this site, added the new forum section (register and post here!!!) and came down with some sort of sickness that I am now recovered from. I have been to the state fair twice, rode the light rail in Phoenix and put about 3000 miles on my car. In that two weeks I carried around the Sony A33 Camera because I wanted to test out the new “Translucent Mirror Technology” which basically gives this camera blazing AF, even during video and an amazing EVF that is the best I have seen to date. In the past few weeks I have tried out the Nikon D3100 (which I was not thrilled with..just didnt motivate me) and also have been shooting with the Sony NEX-5 which is very similar in image quality to the A33, but there are differences there that I will get to down in this review.

I’m not going to go heavy on tech details here, just my experience shooting it over the past two weeks as well as plenty of image samples, high ISO samples, and some video shot with the camera on a tripod and handheld – at night. The Sony A33 and the new A55 are pretty amazing cameras for the money, but are they the best budget DLR’s going right now? If you do not own ANY glass from other companies and want a DSLR, AND are starting fresh I would say….YES. The A33 is one hell of a camera for the $700 it goes for with its kit lens. Keep reading to find out why I feel this way.

A little bit about the Sony A33 Camera…

Sony A33 – 24mm with the Kit Zoom at ISO 6400 – click image for larger version

Sony A33 with Kit Zoom – ISO 6400 – Click image for larger version

The Sony A-33 and A-55 are two new Sony cameras with loads of features and superb image quality, especially at their price range. Three weeks ago I went into an electronics store here in Phoenix and there was a Sony rep hyping up the A33 and A55. He said “These are the most exciting cameras out today” and even though I knew all about them I asked him why he thought that. He went onto  tell me about the resolution, the fast AF, the new mirror technology and the EVF. He said the video was outstanding and the speed of the AF, even with moving subjects were some of the best out there beating cameras like the Canon 5DMKII and Nikon D7000. I then told him who I was and about this site and he wrote it down and said he would look for the review. 🙂

So I acquired the A33 to try for myself (never did receive the A55 to test) and I admit, I was somewhat excited about the camera because it was semi small, and had everything I was looking for in a camera. Great image quality, superb HD video, blazing auto focus, nice EVF and even the gimmicky but very cool Sweep Pano Mode and Handheld Twilight Mode. All of these fatures were in the little NEX-5 but I was curious to see if the A33 was an improvement in any way over the NEX. In reality, these are two different cameras with the NEX-5 going more for SMALL SIZE, HIGH QUALITY and the A33 going more for ULTIMATE VERSATILITY AND HIGH QUALITY.

The A33 is a DSLR, the NEX-5 is not. The A33 has external controls and an actualy Electronic Viewfinder you put up to your eye, like the old days 🙂 The NEX-5 does not, so two different cameras but both with similar qualities.

So comparing the two cameras is not really something that should be done except to see if the little NEX 5 can stand up to a larger DSLR using the same sensor. Depending on what you are looking for you may buy a NEX 3 or 5 if you want small and stealthy or you may buy an A33 if you want more lens options and more external control with the EVF. Others will buy the A55 for even more resolution and the built in GPS. After shooting the A33 and NEX-5 side by side for two weeks I concluded that if I was someone wanting to get into a camera system from scratch and had to keep it under $700 or so, for me it would be the NEX system just due to its size and ability to take Leica M glass via and adapter AND the lens roadmap Sony has mentioned that features Zeiss glass. But dont let that sway you from the A33 because it is one hell of a DSLR. The best IMO for under $700.

Features and what I like about this camera:

  • It has a nice 14.2 MP sensor with superb low light capabilities
  • The Auto Focus is indeed very fast with the Translucent Mirror Technology. Also, there is no mirror slap.
  • The 3″ tiltable LCD screen is very cool and is clear, crisp and colorful.
  • Full HD 1080 Video is clean and clear, even in lower light.
  • 7 frames per second burst
  • Sweep Panorama Mode works! Very easy to get nice Panos once you get the hang of it.
  • Up to 12,800 ISO. I remember a few years ago when the max was 3200 on higher end cameras. Wow.
  • One scene mode that works well is the handheld twilight mode and it allows you to get low light handheld shots that are clear and look very good.

Usually, especially lately, I have not been a fan of these mass produced cheap feeling plasticky DSLR’s that flood the market every 6 months. There have been one or two exceptions. The Pentax K7 was a winner in my book (soon to review the new K5) and  the Pentax Kx was also wonderful for a budget $500 DSLR. Other cameras like the Nikon D3100, Canon rebels, and starter DSLR’s just never did it for me. When I saw the features of this Sony A33 along with the price tag I had to give it a try. I even drove an hour to the Sony store so I could try it out in store with some Zeiss glass and it rocked with the 85 1.4.

The one thing I noticed immediately in this camera was its awesome EVF. The viewfinder is all electronic much like the Panasonic G2, GH2, etc. But it is crystal clear and smooth and gives you tons of great info. It even has a level sensor so all of your shots are level 🙂 Love it! Plus as you can see in the image below, the 3″ LCD tilts down so you can get those angles you cant always get with non tilt-able LCD cameras.

So as you guys can tell already I really enjoyed  the A33 and was having a blast just learning about all of the features of this camera. The one thing I still had to get out and do was take some pictures! I wanted to test it in harsh light, low light and good light. Low ISO, high ISO and even video and that is what I did so read on to see the results of all of my shooting 🙂

The First Day with the A33

The first day I officially took the A33 out with me I was driving around and realized that the sun was pretty harsh. I said “UH OH, this AZ sun is going to kill my sample photos with blown out highlight and hard looking images!” But I pulled over and  took some shots of a train anyway and when I reviewed the images I was happy to see that the Dynamic Range of the A33 was very good. No blown highlights and the image looked pretty smooth, not hard.

Here is one of the first images I shot with the A33. The sun was HARSH and the camera seemed to do pretty good in the dynamic range department. If you click on the image you will download the full size out of camera shot. This is with the KIT zoom which is all I used during my testing. I FOUND THE kit zoom to be decent with the A33, just like most Kit Zooms 🙂

ABOVE: CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE OOC FILE – 6MB – ISO 100 – f8 – 18mm – from RAW

ABOVE: CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL SIZE OOC FILE – ISO 100 – f 5.6 – 18mm – Some sharpening applied during RAW conversion

Above – CLICK image for larger view with 100% crop – Shot in HDR mode in full AZ sun

So when I saw the results I knew the A33 was a nice little high IQ machine. I just had to figure out if I enjoyed shooting with it. In my hands it felt a little fat even though it was small, and it was pretty light but that can be a good thing. I had to get into DSLR mode which is hard after shooting with Leicas and the little NEX5 day after day. But I took the A33 out with me more and more and ended up with some cool shots during my daily travels.

High ISO – How good is it?

The talk about these cameras, and almost all recent cameras is the huge improvement in high ISO capabilities. Cameras today are soooo much better than the cameras of a few years ago. With the A33 you can shoot all day long at ISO1600 and it will look clean. Shoot at 3200 and it will still look pretty clean. At 6400 it starts to get a bit noisy but still usable (depending on what you are shooting). I did notice some differences in the A33 from the NEX5, mainly in color and a little bit in high ISO. Here are some comparisons and crops:

Here are two shots at ISO 200. First one was taken with the A33 and the 2nd with the NEX-5 – both with kit zooms using the “Standard” color preset.

A33

BELOW: NEX-5

I wanted to post this to show the color differences of the out of camera files. The A33 will give you a more vibrant picture than the NEX5 when using the same standard color preset. But what about high ISO? We all know the NEX-5 is fantastic in low light but how does the A33 compare? It should be the same as  they use the same sensor so let’s take a look:

The NEX-5 image looks sharper at ISO 1600 but this could be due to a number of factors like the kit lenses. As far as ISO noise goes, both look awesome for 1600. How about 3200?

It appears the NEX MAY BE just a tad bit cleaner, but it seems to be a small difference. Remember, these are 100% crops so even at 3200, they both look pretty damn good. The color pops more with the A33. Ok, one step farther. ISO 6400...this  time you can click on the full image to download the full size OOC image – This is strictly a high ISO comparison, not sharpness, detail, etc as the F stop was different on each camera. I did use a tripod.

First the A33 at ISO 6400 – click for full size OOC image

Below: Now the NEX-5 at ISO 6400 – Click image for full size OOC file

The biggest thing that pops out at me is the color. To be honest the scene in real life was somewhere in between the two. Not as vibrant as the A33 but not as dull as the NEX-5. Thankfully, none of this matters as each camera can be tweaked to provide the exact amount of color saturation you are looking for.

The Sony A33 HD Video Capabilities

When I was at the fair I brought along my tripod to see how the video quality would be with the A33. I assumed it would be similar to the NEX-5 and i was correct but the focus was faster. If you watch the video below you will see a scene that shows kids sliding down a huge slide. A woman will walk into the scene and  the AF will quickly focus on her face. WHen she walks away, the AF is lightning quick and focus on the slide again. This shows you how fast the AF can be though it did hunt a but when I was taking video of my friend Mike eating his giant corn dog 🙂

Ok, how about some real world images? Some fun at the fair!

What it is all about, the images! How did I like shooting this camera? Well, I can not lie…I prefer shooting a Leica M or even the little NEX-5 (just due to the size) but the Sony A33 was just small enough to where I felt comfortable taking it with me. I walked streets shooting it, took it to a first friday event, and even shot with it around my house. The A33 proved to have no flaws in the $700 price range. Fast AF? CHECK! Great IQ? CHECK! Easy To Use? CHECK! Extra Features? CHECK! Great HD Video? CHECK! Smooth Sounding Shutter? CHECK! Great at Low Light/HIgh ISO? CHECK! – ok..ok..you get the idea. THIS camera rocks and yes I like it. I usually only write about cameras I like as I feel writing about crap is just a waste of my time and this is a camera I liked. The Sony A33 is a great buy for those wanting a starter DSLR that doesn’t act like a starter DSLR and at a decent price point.

OK..on to some images!

A quick note about the samples – These are my “Real World” results. This means I shot the images with the camera and kit lens, opened the images from RAW and did minor PP to them. Usually this means a slight level adjust or even a filter or border. The images above that I supplied in full size were OOC (the train and the high ISO). The images below are my results with the camera using my normal processing work flow. Remember, you can always click on any image in my reviews to view a larger version!

Below: ISO 160

Below: ISO 1600

Below: ISO 640

Below: ISO 1250

Below: ISO 1600

Below: ISO 800 (alien skin exposure 3 Kodachrome filter added)

Below: ISO 1600 (straight from camera)

Below: A sweep pano. I see a couple of snags but overall, if you keep it smooth you can get great results.

The Pro’s and Con’s of the Sony A33 DSLR

Pros

  • It’s small(ish) and superb quality images
  • Auto Focus is FAST as advertised. Probably the fastest entry level DSLR I have tested in regards to AF. It’s also accurate.
  • High ISO is VERY good. About the same as the NEX-5.
  • Handheld Twilight and Sweep Pano are not gimmiks, they really work.
  • The Tilt LCD is also nice and allows you to get unique angles that you couldn’t get with a non tilt LCD.
  • Access to some great Zeiss glass.
  • Color is punchy, even at standard (some will like this, some may not)
  • AWB is superb, no issues and even in low light it is about as accurate as I have seen.
  • Video is easy to shoot and looks beautiful.
  • $700 or so for the camera and kit lens. Superb bang for the buck.
  • I love the EVF and the handy level indicator. Nice touch.
  • Auto HDR mode works well.

Cons

  • Feels a little fat in my hands..and cheap-ish
  • You may lose a little light with the Translucent Mirror.
  • Kit lens has some distortion at the wide end
  • Same IQ as the NEX-5 really, and the NEX is smaller but offers less external control
  • Smile Detection is odd. It works but doesn’t always recognize a smile. Gimmicky.

My Bottom Line Conclusion

The Sony A33 is yet another camera in the LONG line of digital SLR’s that flood the market..the Nikon D3100, D5000, Pentax K7, Kx, K5 and the Canon Rebels are also options in the never ending supply of digital cameras. BUT…I really like what Sony is doing these days. They are pushing technology further than the others and taking risks as well. The A33 and A55 feature their new Translucent Mirror Technology which basically allows the camera to have a mirror but the mirror doesn’t have to slap up every time you take a shot. It also allows for very fast and accurate AF with PHASE DETECTION AF which Sony claims and delivers. If you are looking for a nice DSLR that wont break the  bank and one that will give you loads of features and options as well as the ability to mount some fabulous Zeiss glass on, the A33 would go into my highly recommended list of cameras. I would choose this over the starter DSLR’s from Nikon or Canon UNLESS you specifically want some of the amazing Nikon or Canon glass. The Sony offers rich color, superb auto white balance and the responsiveness of much more expensive cameras. In my opinion, the A33 is a winner and I had a hard time coming up with negatives for this little guy 🙂 You can buy the A33 at AMAZON or B&H Photo! B&H ALSO HAS THE 16.2 MP A55 IN STOCK!

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62 Comments

  1. I can’t stand the fact these entry level dslr’s or (slt’s in sony’s case) don’t have a top deck lcd display.. I won’t buy any dslr unless it has a top deck display. And their low light performance is deplorable. the a33 is terrible…i don’t know what you all are talking about but even 3 years ago this camera was crap. Images are way too noisy at any iso in low light I’ve gotten better pictures at night from a 7 year old panasonic lumix dsc80 point and shoot.

  2. I like the way you look at equipment, how you shoot it and how you play with it out in the world… I have read much about the Sony A77 but would appreciate your insight into this camera before I send B&H my money for the body with the 16-50mm f/2.8 lens. Keep up your work! It is great photography and very important to many of us. Thank You… Bob ~ FoToEdge

  3. Hello from Mexico, my english y so bad, but i will like to tank U for you nicely review! i have my a33 for almost 3 monts and i loveit! i have a little problem with the view finder at low light but i almost have dominate… Lol. so tanks a i have a cuestion, the little button in front of the camera just about the glass… i see what it does but whats is the real use for… again my english is so bad buy its better than my German… 🙂

  4. steve i got a problem comparing a sony 55 or 33 against a olympus p3 at 200 iso on the image resource web site side by side comparing the different color cloth the black with white swurls always looks clearer on the p3 do you think its the lens used or what iam confused thanks

  5. I read both your reviews for the Sony A33 and the Pentax K7. These are the two cameras I am thinking about buying. Which one would be better in low light in your opinion Steve? Also, price wise I will be getting the A33 (new) with 18-55, and used lenses 55-200 and 75-300 for around a total $600. The Pentax (used) will include 18-55, 50-200, and 16-45 (new) for $650 total.

    I like the build of the Pentax and the history of lenses. But I do like the features of the Sony and new technology. I don’t like how the K7 shots tend to be under exposed and dull, and I don’t like the feel of the Sony (plasticy toy feel).

    Ahhh, what should I do?

  6. Steve,
    Thanks for your review. Confirms our purchase. We just have the kit lens for the A33 but want a little more zoom. Is it a bad way to go to get an 18-200 zoom and just go with one general lens? If so, which would you recommend–Sigma, Tamron, or Sony. –Greg

  7. I already have a D7000 which I came to after having had shoulder surgery and sold off a D700 setup. I went with a PL1 Olympus M4/3 setup. Sure it provided superb sharp images up to 13×19 but I never got to be a fan of one habit of that format…plugged shadows and limited dynamic range. They ALL have that issue. I was ready to upgrade to a PL2 but the dealer I”m fond of put a A55 kit in my hand. I couldn’t put it down for 2 hours. Went home with it and have never looked back. My D7000 is getting real lonely and unused as the Sony is just way too much fun and delivers the IQ for sure. I added a CZ 16-80 so now that resides on the body most of the time. I added a 70-300G for the longer stuff and wow does that lens deliver the goods. So all in all I’m thrilled with what this Sony does. The movies are superb as well, and I don’t even bother with AVCHD. Highly recommended to say the least.

  8. I’ve been reading reviews for days and yours is one of the best! Leave the anagrams out and keep it simple. Good Work…bought an A33 today. cliff

  9. Steve, love your no-nonsense approach to camera reviews but the efficiency of them has rendered me helpless in deciding between the A33 and the Olympus PEN E PL2. I’m interested in doing a bit with HDR and both seem to mimic that effect quite well and the art filters with the Olympus are out of this world. I’m strictly an amateur photographer who hasn’t been serious about the hobby in 20 years but I’ve finally decided to ditch my Fuji point and shoot F470 and get a bit more serious about matters. I’m not ready for RAW photography just yet so I’ll stick to jpegs for now. With that in mind, which camera is going to give me the sharpest JPEGs right out of the box with minimal PPing?
    Thanks for a wonderful site and yes, the EVH Wolfgang rocks….I’m loving mine.

    • Tough call. For JPEGS, the E-PL2 would be the best bet. Its smaller, better JPEGS out of camera, and fun filters. The Oly is a great little cam.

  10. Hi, love your review of the A33,however my comment/question relates to the Canon7D. I am interested in this camera, and would appreciate your opinion.If you have already reviewed this model, how can i access the review ? I am also a Sony fan(own 1), but my very first ‘proper’ camera was the Canon AE 1, bought 1980 ! Loved it, and added a couple FD lenses over the years Lost the whole lot following a home burglary mid nineties. So i am a Sony & Canon fan ! Can U help ? Thanx

  11. steve i would like to thank you for the post about the new sony slts. bought an a33 and the camera is doing a pretty good job in taking pictures. the AF is fast. i like the fact that for an entry level dslr you could have 7 fps continuous shots compared to nikon and canon. well anyway, thanks once again! you have helped me decide the best camera for my buck! cheers!

    • by the way i was looking at your post and i was somehow interested with the panasonic lx-5. i liked the fact that it has a leica lens attached to it. another great buy!
      [img]http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/DSC00478(2).JPG[/img]

  12. I am happy to announce that I have bought myself a Sony a55 camera and I am looking forward to playing with it. Here’s to memoribilia

  13. Looking at the Sony lens lineup. Those Zeiss lenses are no doubt impressive, but VERY pricey. I noticed they have a lineup of less expensive primes… 35, 50, 85– most a few hundred bucks. Did you shoot with any of these in your time with the Sony? Any sense of their quality?

  14. Nex5 or A33? As a complete amateur taking a vacation in Florida next month, what are your thoughts? I love video so that is a consideration. I am interested in photography as hobby as well. So hopefully this camera wil last for at least a couple of years while I learn. Size matters.

  15. Steve Huff, I would like to extend my gratitude for helping me make a decision of what to buy as my beginner DSLR. I am a huge Sony fan in all aspects and I was puzzled about which camera I will be buying. I have put my trust in you and your reviews for the Nikon D3100 and the Sony a33 have gave me a clearer picture as to which one I will be going for.

    I am weighing my options between the a33 and a55, but it will all depend on affordability. Once again keep up the excellent work and you have just scored yourself another fan and I will be sure to follow your reviews from now.

  16. Hi. It’s interesting to read of your enthusiasm for both the a33 and the Nex5. I’ve been considering upgrading to one of these cameras from my compact (fuji f30) to take better (flash free) photos of my little boy charging around.

    The size and simplicity of the NEX appeals but do you think the a33 would be better suited to capturing fast moving toddlers with it’s phase detection auto focus?

    (I have no Dslr experience and feel like I’ll be more inclined to use the LCD than the view finder so a33 appeals to me more than traditional Dslrs in that respect)

  17. G”day i have just been over in rockhampton from darwin N.T.in australia, to visit a friend or mine and he has the nex5, and we went shopping to see what else was out there. i decided on the a33 liked the feel over the nex , felt like i was going to drop it all the time, but both great! have just orded a tamron 70-300 zoom lense, cant wait to get it.

  18. Thanks for the great review! That was really well done, and simplified which is exactly the info that I was looking for. I will be back!

  19. Mr. Steve Huff can i ask something for you i’m so thankful if you replied this, Because this my first to buy a DSLR Camera, which would you prefer to me a Nikon D3100, Canon Eos 450D or 500D and Sony Alpha a33. I’m on a Photography now and i’ve Learned alot about that. Thank you in Advance 🙂

    -Sony #Fan
    [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2041/buddyicons/766351@N21.jpg?1226520138[/img]

    • Mr. Steve Huff can i ask something for you i’m so thankful if you replied this, Because this my first to buy a DSLR Camera, which would you prefer to me a Nikon D3100, Canon Eos 450D or 500D and Sony Alpha a33. but i think i might buy Sony A33 not sure haha. I’m on a Photography now and i’ve Learned alot about that. Thank you in Advance 🙂

      -Sony #Fan
      [img]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2041/buddyicons/766351@N21.jpg?1226520138[/img]

  20. Was going to ask the same question about the settings you used forth scene with the BBQ. I just got this camera and the pictures I have taken are breathtaking!

    Excellent review, I am learning more about how to use my camera by reading this info.

  21. Hi,
    I am totally new to the whole DSLR thing, and recently bought the a33. I have been playing around with it a bit and getting some pretty decent shots, but I’m having a bit of a hard time finding the proper settings/program for low light settings. I was just wondering what kind of settings you used on the photo of the man by the barbeque, which looks completely sharp and clean.

  23. Awesome review!

    have you ever seen color fringing and ghosting issues in this camera?? some people in flickr have seen this issues.

  24. Wow! What an impressive review of the A33. Being a point n shooter, was going to upgrade this Christmas. Never even considered Sony before as everyone talks Nikon and Canon and I wasn’t a big fan of the memory sticks. Since I don’t have any investment in lenses, will check it out further and buy from one of your links. I am really glad I found your site and really appreciate the plain english that you write. Keep up the good work!

  25. I have been trying to find out about sweep panoramas. Is the output JPG or RAW? what size are the files?

  26. thank you! i read a different review of the A33 a few days ago and have been contemplating if there’s enough evidence for me (a point-n-shoot digital snapshot taker) to seriously upgrade my equipment in order to improve my skills and my photos.

    still feeling a surge of nervous adrenaline, but your logical analysis helps me understand what this camera offers. usually, the reviews are so full of lingo, i can’t tell if i will know/use the features or not!!!

    thank you! will purchase via one of your links!

  27. Wow…the tech quality of the images is impressive. Damn there is so much great equipment out there.
    Thanks for showing us what this camera can do.

  28. i would like to know if i could use the lenses that i used with my old minolta maxxum 7000 on the sony a33 they are af lenses
    thanks

  29. I read your short review on the Pentax K-x and I was wondering which camera do you personally consider better overall, K-x or A33, regardless of price, and what do you think would be the deciding factor for you were you had to choose

    • Well….if choosing between those two today (The Kx vs A33), would have to be the A33…but…the Pentax has the new Kr which is an improvement over the Kx and I have not yet tried it. Decisions decisions.

  30. Well this article really further convinced me to get this camera. I regularly visit your blog (loved your article on shooting Seal) and was anxiously waiting on you review to pull the trigger. I’m a noob and this will be my first dslr. I was wondering what lens would you recommend to go with this camera. although I will be getting the kit lens to learn the handling of the camera but it would be nice to know what lens to upgrade to overtime. Thanks

  31. You got a really useful blog I have been here reading for about an hour. I am a newbie and your success is very much an inspiration for me.

  32. Finally, an issue that I am passionate about. I have looked for information of this caliber for the last several hours. Your site is greatly appreciated.

  33. Excellent review, very fair and balanced. I’m starting to get curious again about the Nex cameras, but it all depends on how the GH2 turns out.

  34. There is very simple explanation why Nex is a bit better (about 1/2 stop) at high ISO. A33 loses some light to the mirror. It does not make that much of a difference for ISO 1600 and lower. A55 matches Nex performance for high ISO due to slightly better (1/2 stop) sensor.

  35. I bought the A-55 two weeks ago, and I love it! Didn’t have any investments in any system, so I was free to choose from any, but Sony wooed me with their fancy technological inventions!

    I tried the EVF at the store, as I was sceptical, and then bought it. While I didn’t compare them side-by-side, I think the EVF gives a larger picture than even the Canon 7D, but don’t take my word for it. What you can take my word for though, is that it’s REALLY BRIGHT! There is just no optical viewfinder for crop cameras that compares when it comes to brightness. No problems using it to frame shots in the dark or anything. The added bonus is that since it’s electronic, you can have information overlay on it. I frequently have the histogram on it, but the fighter pilot thingy is pretty neat too!

    The only real down-side for me is that Sony still hasn’t caught on the fact that it rains on most days in some places of the world (like Norway), and there isn’t even rubber around the battery/memory card door, something every compact I’ve ever owned have featured.

    Oh yeah, and for those thinking the high FPS wont mean anything to you because you don’t shoot sports: You’re probably wrong.

    You can select multi-exposure ISO’s (which lets you select as high as 25k), and it takes 6 pictures in less than a second (well, it depends on the shutter speed), and pixel-to-pixel merges them to create one picture with less noise. It’s just brilliant.

  36. Steve, I forgot to ask about the EVF for eyeglass wearers. Some of the previous Sony DSLR’s I eliminated from consideration because I just couldn’t see much of the viewfinder when wearing my glasses. Low eyepoint I guess.

  37. Steve, How is the EVF screen? Is it significantly darker than similarly priced DSLRs? How about the size of the EVF inside, does it seem like your viewing a picture down long hallway like the Canon Rebels or the like?

  38. Hi Steve, great review! I also own A33 and find it superior to the nikon D90 and Canon 50D that I owned and played before (now I still own D90). I slip A33 in my briefcase so that I bring it to my work everyday. Now I have only one question – what setting you would recommend for jpeg. Do you find its default “standard” setting is good enough or you would recommend push up the sharpness, saturation and contrast? Look forward to your reply. Thanks.

    • I used Standard most of the time but the best thing to do is to experiment and see what works for you. I find the A33 packs plenty of color punch even in standard mode. I used standard and portrait the most when I had the camera.

  39. How would you say the total package compares to the Panasonic G2 you reviewed a while back?
    Is the crop factor the same as the NEX? What about the screen how does it compare to the G2, and NEX series?

    • Well, the A33 has a larger sensor but is also a larger camera. The high ISO will be better with the A33 but the complete G2 package will be smaller. The G2 and the 20 1.7 is a killer combo. The A33 lenses are all larger so depends on if you want small or large. The crop factor of the G2 is 2X, the A33 and NEX is 1.5.

  40. OH MAN!!! THE EVH Special Wolfgang!! Very nice. Love it. I have been a fan for the last 25 years and play a ernie ball music man EVH model from 1991. I normally only read the leica reviews so glad I checked out this one. Amazing work with the website man. You have helped so many people. Cheers
    Tobin 🙂

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