Sony A33

[MontoyaSG]

For me , I think the above uncropped pics are acceptable at ISO 6400 but for cropped pics, the noise and smudging gets real bad at ISO 3200 onwards. Hope A55 is better at noise control else I just get A33 if both are the same

Keep in mind that it's an entry level system.

Personally I find the ISO performance all the way up to ISO6400 acceptable for prints and if these are out of camera JPGs will go to show how far have sony progressed in terms of noise processing.

You can get even better results if these high ISOs are processed in RAW.

 

[wksoh]

I don't expect zero noise and I dunno is it realistic to expect no noise at high iso. The Question is , is it considered noise tolerable or not.

Nvr really studied the noise profile of the a33 but since it uses the nex sensors predominantly it should perform the same as my nex

If so I m happy le

If the ISO is as good as the NEX,.. then it is really good. No question.
But loss of 30% light to sensor plus the picture of ISO800 noise shown by a kind member above sort of makes me think again if it's as good as the NEX.

The physics should be simple,.. 30% less light => higher sensitivity => more ISO noise? Logically it shouldn't be same as NEX using the same sensor. But I won't use logic here...

I'll have to sit out for more reviews from this forum..
By the time the dust has settled,.... my guess is - most likely it will be ISO noise trade off for a superior AF for SLT.

 

[Exposure]

tested the a33 at sony store today, nice overall feel, initially had wanted to get the Kx, but now,i'm leaning towards the a33........

why still waiting ? life is not that long to wait so much

 

[baynald12]

whats the difference between EVF and LV Chk?
been using my a500 LV mode for 98% of my shots and it has a LV Chk which you can zoom in your subject to make sure that its focus, is it same with EVF?

 

[kennmail]

think many bros like me r also waiting for a55 to launch b4 deciding which to get. I think if e price diff btw a33 n a 55 is gonna b like a500 n a550 - just $100 diff.... dun think the performance on hi iso will b any better. I read a few reviews...some said a55 use a diff newer technology sensor while others say the sensor is the same except higher megapixel....Nevertheless, I think for its price, the a33 is alrd a gd enuff cam packed w so much features...

 

[torak]

i think alot of people are placing too much emphasis on so called "high ISO performance".

Those who own/have owned DSLRs before, go and look thru ur photos' EXIF file, and u will notice that in almost all situations, u will wanna use as low ISO as possible. I previously was using A550, and even though it has usable ISO of up to 3200, I always stick to ISO 200-400 if possible, else 800. Seldom go up to 1600, and i don think i ever used 3200 before.

When taking pictures indoors, flash > ISO
Night landscape, no amount of ISO can win a tripod
Long telephoto zoom (I got the 500mm F8 reflex), I still stick with ISO 400, its usually enough even at this focal length, not to mention we got build in Image Stabilizer to compensate for it.
High ISO is something that is good to hv, but its not critical.

Using high ISO performance as a comparison of a camera's capabilities is simply not realistic. If purely using ISO to compare, the Canon 1D MK4 must be a lousy camera then, as its so expensive, even costing more than the Nikon D3s and yet has lousier ISO performance when compared to the D3s.

Similarly, the A33/55 might not be the best ISO performancing entry level DSLR in the market, but it has the fastest frame rate, fastest AF speed, fastest live view, not to mention tons of functions like auto HDR, sweep panorama, and they have the biggest view finder among entry levels, with 100% FOV somemore. Not to mention some highly useful function which is not available in any DSLR in the market right now, like the ability to magnify the image in VF for micro focusing adjustment (which is extremely critical for shallow DOF and macroing), the horizon indicator (not sure the exact term), and the single most important thing that no DSLR can do, which is the absence of mirror slap. Yes there are alot of DSLRs which can lockup the mirror, but generally MLU is more useful for tripod usage. The DSLTs hv no mirror slap, thus when taking photos handheld (again, for shallow DOF and macroing), it lessen the chance of any vibrations caused by mirror actions.

I certainly feel that for $899 (body only), the A33 is simply the best all rounder DSLR you can get. The closest contender is the pentax K-X, but while the K-X hv slightly better high ISO performance, but it loses in so many other ways, the A33 simply can offer much more in those areas.

 

[torak]

i went to take a look at the A33 in comex today. Cant believe its so small, so cute :bsmilie:

Its as small as a mirrorless ILC!

 

[hmjt]

i think alot of people are placing too much emphasis on so called "high ISO performance".

Those who own/have owned DSLRs before, go and look thru ur photos' EXIF file, and u will notice that in almost all situations, u will wanna use as low ISO as possible. I previously was using A550, and even though it has usable ISO of up to 3200, I always stick to ISO 200-400 if possible, else 800. Seldom go up to 1600, and i don think i ever used 3200 before.

When taking pictures indoors, flash > ISO
Night landscape, no amount of ISO can win a tripod
Long telephoto zoom (I got the 500mm F8 reflex), I still stick with ISO 400, its usually enough even at this focal length, not to mention we got build in Image Stabilizer to compensate for it.
High ISO is something that is good to hv, but its not critical.

Using high ISO performance as a comparison of a camera's capabilities is simply not realistic. If purely using ISO to compare, the Canon 1D MK4 must be a lousy camera then, as its so expensive, even costing more than the Nikon D3s and yet has lousier ISO performance when compared to the D3s.

Similarly, the A33/55 might not be the best ISO performancing entry level DSLR in the market, but it has the fastest frame rate, fastest AF speed, fastest live view, not to mention tons of functions like auto HDR, sweep panorama, and they have the biggest view finder among entry levels, with 100% FOV somemore. Not to mention some highly useful function which is not available in any DSLR in the market right now, like the ability to magnify the image in VF for micro focusing adjustment (which is extremely critical for shallow DOF and macroing), the horizon indicator (not sure the exact term), and the single most important thing that no DSLR can do, which is the absence of mirror slap. Yes there are alot of DSLRs which can lockup the mirror, but generally MLU is more useful for tripod usage. The DSLTs hv no mirror slap, thus when taking photos handheld (again, for shallow DOF and macroing), it lessen the chance of any vibrations caused by mirror actions.

I certainly feel that for $899 (body only), the A33 is simply the best all rounder DSLR you can get. The closest contender is the pentax K-X, but while the K-X hv slightly better high ISO performance, but it loses in so many other ways, the A33 simply can offer much more in those areas.

For certain type of photography, high iso is important. When shooting with those telephoto lens, even very small motions are magnified (motions so minute that the SSS would not even be engaged. ), thus having higher shutter speed is very important in getting the sharpest possible photo. And sometimes the only way is to use these higher iso to obtain the fastest shutter speed, to stop motion of the subject and your own. Also previously when using film camera, one can always increase the iso by buying film with higher sensitivity. Not so with dslr, if the high iso sucks, one is kinda stuck with it.
Or low light shooting where the use of flash is not feasible, having a good high iso could help alot in getting sharper photos.

 

[naynoy]

IMHO with the overall specs and price of the a33 as compared to the current same priced DSLRs from either nikon or canon. it is the best deal there is.

a33 is priced sames as the 500D and the d5000 but look at the features and performance of those 2 cams in comparison to the a33 then it all makes sense. but i'll wait a little longer for the a55

 

[torak]

For certain type of photography, high iso is important. When shooting with those telephoto lens, even very small motions are magnified (motions so minute that the SSS would not even be engaged. ), thus having higher shutter speed is very important in getting the sharpest possible photo. And sometimes the only way is to use these higher iso to obtain the fastest shutter speed, to stop motion of the subject and your own. Also previously when using film camera, one can always increase the iso by buying film with higher sensitivity. Not so with dslr, if the high iso sucks, one is kinda stuck with it.
Or low light shooting where the use of flash is not feasible, having a good high iso could help alot in getting sharper photos.

with a 500mm f8, in the evening light and ISO 800, the shutter speed will be around 1/400, which is still very much acceptable coupled with SSS. And I believe no other lens at 500mm can be handheld cos they will be much too heavy (thats y the minolta 500mm is such a gem). Any other system's 500mm and above will be so heavy that it should be tripod mounted, so i dont see any problems with it.

As for low light, I think the A33/55's ISO 1600 is still pretty much acceptable. If really die die hv to go down to ISO3200, I will just shoot in raw and use noise ninja or lightroom 3 (which has better noise reduction than LR 2)

 

[torak]

IMHO with the overall specs and price of the a33 as compared to the current same priced DSLRs from either nikon or canon. it is the best deal there is.

a33 is priced sames as the 500D and the d5000 but look at the features and performance of those 2 cams in comparison to the a33 then it all makes sense. but i'll wait a little longer for the a55

the A33 ($899) is slightly cheaper than the 500D and D5000.

 

[naynoy]

the A33 ($899) is slightly cheaper than the 500D and D5000.

exactly!!! and this is an entry level DSLT, it has high iso selectable. it may be noisy but for the price you are getting it, it nothing to complain about and would probably not used by a casual user..

my only concern with this cam design is the tiltable lcs and the poor battery performance.. adding a 3rd party grip if it becomes available in the future will block part of the lcd operation as compared to the a560/580. but then again.. for its price.. i cant complain..

 

[alan98]

I have just switched from a Sony Cybershot DSC-W120 to a Sony alpha a33!
Took it out for a few shots today and I like what I see...
Bought a Tokina UV filter from Cathay Photo and got a screen protector from Sony Gallery Jurong Point.
For those who have trouble getting screen protector, go to your preferred Sony dealer and look for Sony PCK-L35WCS. It is a 3.5" wide screen screen protector for Cybershot. But it fits the a33 to a T. SRP: $19.

Cheers!

 

[Synergyworld]

Bought from Comex, part of freebies but stupid Song Brothers anyhow give wrong size (maybe just don't even have the right size!)

Lazy to go back to argue with them, went SLS paid $12 and that shop on 1st floor DIY one for me.

I have just switched from a Sony Cybershot DSC-W120 to a Sony alpha a33!
Took it out for a few shots today and I like what I see...
Bought a Tokina UV filter from Cathay Photo and got a screen protector from Sony Gallery Jurong Point.
For those who have trouble getting screen protector, go to your preferred Sony dealer and look for Sony PCK-L35WCS. It is a 3.5" wide screen screen protector for Cybershot. But it fits the a33 to a T. SRP: $19.

Cheers!

 

[Rocky78]

Frankly speaking, i do not notice any loss of light or image quality of a33.

In fact i did a head to head comparison with my nex5 both using kit lenses.

At equal iso level, eg. Iso1600 i am getting same exposure level. To my surprise, a33 was having a faster shutter speed of 1/125s compared to nex5 of 1/100s for everything else same f4.5, ev0, multi metering, spot focusing, etc all same.

Sharpness is very good for A33 though i can see nex5 produces cleaner images from iso1600 onwards but a33 retains more details.

Thanks for your info.

As the actual light reaching the sensor is lesser (70% only), how do you explain a higher shutter speed ?

Could it be the firmware inspecting the program to set the shutter speed x 1.3 ?

 

[NewbieInCS]

Has anyone with the A33 got dust on the mirror yet? Is it an issue in photo output, like sensor dust?

 

[alantkh]

i think alot of people are placing too much emphasis on so called "high ISO performance".

Those who own/have owned DSLRs before, go and look thru ur photos' EXIF file, and u will notice that in almost all situations, u will wanna use as low ISO as possible. I previously was using A550, and even though it has usable ISO of up to 3200, I always stick to ISO 200-400 if possible, else 800. Seldom go up to 1600, and i don think i ever used 3200 before.

When taking pictures indoors, flash > ISO
Night landscape, no amount of ISO can win a tripod
Long telephoto zoom (I got the 500mm F8 reflex), I still stick with ISO 400, its usually enough even at this focal length, not to mention we got build in Image Stabilizer to compensate for it.
High ISO is something that is good to hv, but its not critical.

I USED to think that flash > ISO for indoors. But after I got the D700, it is the other way. It all depends on whether your camera has good high ISO performance. If you can shoot clean ISO3200, high ISO > flash indoors.

But since I seldom shoot indoors, I do agree that other stuff is more impt than high ISO. I rate DR more impt...

 

[Kusum Kangguru]

Has anyone with the A33 got dust on the mirror yet? Is it an issue in photo output, like sensor dust?

I am pretty interested/concerned about this too.

If there is dust on the mirror, what are we supposed to do?

 

[henry soh]

Hi, Use a strong blower, careful not to touch tip of blower against mirror/sensor. If not successful, then refer to service centre.

 

[Ouverture]

I am pretty interested/concerned about this too.

If there is dust on the mirror, what are we supposed to do?

I dun think the cleaning process is very much different to normal dslr when you have dust on sensor. Blow...if still cannot refer to ssc.