Sony Alpha 37 ergonomics and processing Like its predecessor, the SLT Alpha 37 surprised with a very delicate, almost to acting tiny camera body. Made possible by the technology of Sony SLT: It does away with a conventional optical viewfinder, thus can be omitted, the oscillating mirror. The viewfinder image is in Sony's SLT technology produced by the image sensor and selectively output by electronic viewfinder (EVF) or on the rear display. The method has in addition to the smaller space requirement some other advantages: The viewfinder of the A37 is significantly greater than in cameras in its class, covering the picture to 100 percent. But wearers were happy with the Maxi-seekers do not always: it forces you to squeeze the eye almost to the eyepiece, otherwise can not overlook the viewfinder fully. When A37 Sony has addressed this problem and devised a workable solution: The display of the EVF can be made smaller so that people wearing glasses the entire viewfinder slightly better at one glance.
Alternatively, it allows the A37 to control the viewfinder on the rear display. Unlike even the predecessor, the display is not permanently mounted, but can be about 90 degrees upwards and fold down 45 degrees - a welcome improvement for ground-level photographs and overhead shots. While Sony not the cost of a simple hinge joint at the A37 afraid, the manufacturer has saved the LCD panel vigorously: The screen dissolves only modest 230,400 points - such a coarse resolution is no longer adequate for a camera system. Since it does not mean that the display area has shrunk, the monitor screen has a diagonal of 2.7 inches in just a little crude.
Sony Alpha 37 is anything but coarse, however, the impression that the camera is switched in the hand. The petite case is handled properly, ready and equipped with the kit lens DT SAM 3.5-5.6/18-55 the A37 pushes just over a pound on the scale. The gripping bead on the camera front, Sony has formed stronger than at the predecessor, as the thumb rest on the back. Thus, the compact camera fits surprisingly solid in the hand, even with vertical shots. However, it lacks the small camera back just to accommodate controls. On the back, Sony has just placed a four-way rocker and three other Schalterchen. More space for dedicated controls would have been on top of the housing. But right on the top plate of a gaping void that is four more knobs too small geratenen not filled by far. In addition, the buttons to start the video recording, and exposure compensation are so close together that the camera in practice repeatedly with the shooting started, but just where should the exposure be corrected. Typically, the class A37 come out with a single dial, much too easily - can be adjusted - and thus inadvertently. He compensated the camera with an oversize mode dial on the left top.
Sony Alpha 37 with DT18-55mm SAM Typical of system cameras from Sony, the Main Menu of the A37 is clearly divided into registers so that each control options without long guesswork can. Whether call the menu again the last selected entry will be searched or the first command in the list, can be specified. The way in this main menu is rarely necessary, however - the most important parameters of the "Fn" button brings to the screen, where they can be modified by means of four-way rocker switch quickly and conveniently. The A37 offers even a preview button to be able to assess the depth of field in the viewfinder beforehand. As the AEL button you can use an other function (eg ISO setting or AF mode), so that the camera handy reasonably adjusts the wants and needs of the photographer. Memory card and battery compartment hidden under a common valve on the base of the camera. The court, however, there is sufficient only for a fairly small battery with a somewhat meager capacity of 1,080 mAh. Thus, a maximum of 500 photos or 180 minutes of video recording are possible. The tripod socket is located on the optical axis and far enough from the battery cover removed so that source of energy and memory card remain accessible even when mounted tripod plate.
Features While Sony has revised the A37 visible externally, has done less under the hood. Why should they? Offered but already the predecessor pretty much everything you need in daily practice shooting - plus a few specialties. Not brand new, but still impressive, the capabilities of the A37, improve the picture quality to be visible by skillfully resolving a whole series of shots. It shall, on request, high-contrast scenes with a bracket, the image of the camera processor then charged to a convincing HDR image. Or combining a number high-ISO images to a photo that has surprisingly little noise. The relevant programs selects the A37 even automatically when the mode Sony Alpha 37 "superior auto" mode. There are still the classic Scene Auto, although special programs can be left out, otherwise the A37 but quite reliably adapts to the shooting conditions. Also on board are about face and smile, the ability to record a panorama by panning and the inevitable effect programs that the photo alienate "creative".
Who himself and his image results would not entirely put into the hands of fully automatic, can operate the A37 as well as a classic program, speed or aperture machines - or completely controls the exposure manually. The A37 also takes on exposure bracketing, but with only three photos at a maximum of 0.7 EV increments - to accommodate HDR-series is too little. He compensated the small camera with cunning options for flash exposure and a rather fast burst rate of 5.5 frames Sony specifies per second (fps) at full resolution. The onboard flash with a guide number of 10 is not very potent, but can also turn off after all the full automatics. The small flash is used not only to brighten the subject - it flickers too intrusive to under adverse lighting conditions, the autofocus to find a remedy. The autofocus system of the A37 works as with all SLT cameras after brisk phase comparison method, 15 AF points, three of which are designed as cross sensors, ensure the camera for a sharp image. To an almost transparent film reflects the beam path a little light and directs it to autofocus module. Sony Alpha 37 with DT18-55mm SAM Especially when shooting video plays this construction of its advantages: The focus is on films with almost no delay, but especially tracked safely and without pumps. In still photos, the autofocus quickly shows average: 0.33 seconds maximum time the A37 was in the lab of digcamworld to focus and trigger.
Under the hood, the A37 has indeed done little, two innovations have been added, however: firstly - unusual for a DSLR camera - a digital zoom. And the other cuts the "automatic portrait frame" portraits equal to its inclusion on an attractive neckline. The digital zoom extends the focal length even by sheer crop, so it sinks is the native resolution. In addition, it can also increase the resulting image. Bottom line, this results in a maximum of an 8-fold elongation factor, a 50-millimeter lens so seemingly normal, a 400-Tele - with all the risks and side effects for the picture quality! In the recording features the A37 shows thus quite generous, with the playback functions or the possibilities for subsequent image processing they skimp on the other hand: rotate images and a simple slide show, that was a substantial extent, which provides the A37.
Sony Alpha 37 with DT18-55mm SAM recovery of her generous side, the A37 shows in the video. She films in full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels at a maximum frame rate of 25 full-and 50 half frames. For video recordings can specify either an aperture or a shutter speed, alternatively, the exposure can be controlled manually or by the automatic program. Fast autofocus, on request by the sharpness while maximum aperture or a shutter not less than F3, set the fifth Also nice that a number of acquisition and image processing parameters can also be set for a video, such as ISO sensitivity, white balance or correct aberrations of the lens. And so filming bribe with the A37 a very good quality, and the stereo sound for the film is okay. For higher demands on sound quality holds the camera ready even a connector for an external stereo microphone. In general, the A37 is very easy to connect. It connects via USB to a computer, contact the TV via HDMI, it produces. In addition to her Sony has a socket for connecting a wired remote donated - no small matter in the price range of the A37!
As usual for the Alpha family, the image stabilization of the A37 is based on the sensor-shift process. Unlike an optical stabilizer This method works with any Sony Alpha 37 with DT18-55mm SAM [Photo: Media North] lens. Unfortunately, the stabilization is only activated when the shutter button is fully depressed. The electronically generated viewfinder is not stabilized, although it would be technically possible and certainly was implemented in the first generation of SLT cameras by Sony. That available with the camera set in zoom lens SAL 18-55 is mainly made of plastic and correspondingly light and handy. It covers relates to small camera a focal length range of 27 - from 82.5 mm. The zoom ring is to use a bit notchy, uniform ride zoom during movie recording is possible so little. The focus ring for manual focusing is translated very short and easily so that he could convince in practice less. Too bad, because the A37 offers the optional edge enhancement a clever feature that greatly simplifies manual focussing. You marked contrast colored edges that lie in the plane of focus. Focus is an electronic magnifying glass on top of that.
Image quality Even the predecessor of the A37, the. A35 knew about a year ago in digcamworld test with a posh image quality to convince (see links at end of post) Since there was hardly any improvement requests. The Sony apparently also looks like and has been playing in the current A37 sensor and image processor substantially from its predecessor. It remains at an impressive 16 megapixels resolution on an image sensor in APS-C format, but even with the handicap that the SLT-technology branches around 30 percent of the light and can not reach the sensor. In other words: The sensor must be about half an f-stop on less light than the lens can happen. As the A37 fulfills this criteria and as to your overall image quality Sony Alpha 37 with DT18-55mm SAM is ordered, we have in the lab of digcamworld meticulously measured it. The detailed and extensively annotated lab report, as always, can be downloaded for a small fee as a PDF file and saved (see related links).
Fears that the partially transparent foil in the beam path, the A37 to boil merrily, the trace of the signal to noise ratio scattered already at first sight: Until the sensitivity of ISO 400 is the signal to noise ratio good 40 dB and then falls gently off with increasing levels of sensitivity. The critical limit of 35 dB is achieved only at high ISO 3200. Up to this ISO level, the camera can be used in everyday life without annoying limitations in image quality - this is confirmed by the images from the real world. That this noise reduction needs to work vigorously, shows the measurement of the texture sharpness. While noting beyond the ISO 1600 was clearly visible, but only beyond the ISO 3200 allows the noise reduction Störpixeln disappear with the finest details. How well the image processing of the A37 preserves the balance between noise reduction and image details, the comparison with 6400 are parallel recorded RAW and jpeg files. Not always succeeded in Adobe Camera Raw 7.1, the RAW photos to elicit the same amount of detail, as they show the JPEG images. This outstanding result certainly contributes also to the A37, the most annoying color noise resistant to ISO 6400 under control. If anything, the photographs demonstrate a gentle Sony Alpha 37 battery compartment and memory card slot luminance noise, which works visually much more comfortable than colored Störpixel.
The A37 processed right up to ISO 1600 provides a dynamic range of around 10.5 stops (EV), at ISO 3,200 they scraped as straight even at the 10-EV brand. The camera scares including front-contrast scenes back. The issue, however, is tuned tone curve is very steep. Thus, the A37 provides both appealing crisp images, thereby suppresses the other hand, however, fine tonal gradation in dark areas. As long as the photos are printed on paper that is not the end, alternatively allows the tone curve in RAW images to be accurately. In the color reproduction cheating the A37 bit. Red and orange colors they are quite strong again, cyan and blue moving a little towards red From this little peculiarity aside, the color reproduction of the A37 is however perfectly fine. This especially applies to the color differentiation, the actual color depth of photographs is a very high.
Sony Alpha 37 is slightly clouded the far very positive test result when the lens DT 18-55 mm 3.5-5.6 SAM comes into play. That the price-optimized large-aperture zoom in a small drop in sharpness to the image edges, which had forgiven him yet. For latest F8 everything is back in balance. Not so easily you can go over it, that the zoom kräftigst recorded in wide angle position. After all, this problem can be remedied in the subsequent image processing - or even with the lens correction of A37. No herb is grown against the weak performance of the lens resolution. It reaches at best a resolution of 33 line pairs per millimeter (lp / mm) at medium focal length and F8. At long telephoto end it fails, however, already at the not exactly demanding brand of 30 lp / mm. The good compact cameras can even much better! Shooting with the DT 18-55 mm are therefore not as detailed as they could be, thanks to the formidable sensor - like comparison shots with the Sony SAL 70-200/2.8 G SSM impressive show.
Conclusion The Sony SLT-A37 delivers a petite camera system, when compared to its predecessor was mainly improved ergonomics. To contribute to the folding screen and optimized electronic viewfinder, as the concise molded housing. Only the small and partially close together buttons could in practice not really convincing. Thanks to her - based on a price of around 500 euros - feature lavish scale, the A37 is also suitable for more demanding photographers. Who likes it more comfortable, benefits from the clever automatic functions of the A37, be it Sweep Panorama, noise suppression via multiple exposure or effective Auto HDR. When capturing video, the SLT-A37 technology helps at an unrivaled speed and pinpoint autofocus. Although Sony sensor and image processor, the A37 has apparently taken over almost unchanged from its predecessor, the image quality white still experiencing, particularly the balance between noise suppression and preservation of image details the A37 copes excellently. This praise applies only when the A37 is equipped with high-quality lenses. The price-optimized kit zoom is not one of them, it exploits the potential resolution of the formidable 16-megapixel sensor is not nearly. The bottom line is obtained with the A37 an inexpensive camera system with proper scope of equipment and great potential for an excellent image quality.
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