Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only)

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I take a lot of wildlife phots, and take firework pictures too, and am starting to do some astrophotgraphy.This camera is super fast and takes 12 shots before you can even think. I recently took it to a Fireworks convention, and got amzing results, It has tips and tricks on screen for every function, , to remind you of common settings to use. I love this camera, its the best one Ive owned yet, and its my fifth camera in ten years. its a keeper!!!

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Being a former professional photographer this camera is great for someone who doesn't work professionally everyday but still enjoys a nice camera. Having shoot Minolta equipment for many years I love this camera.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Have 3 other Sonys, but when the A-350 was discontinued, needed to find a new model to replace my old Minolta. Haven't tried the video features yet, but a couple quick tests looked good. Primary use will be in August when we go to Africa. Hoping this Sony will live up to the quality we've come to expect and enjoy.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Since buying this i have had 2 friends who were thinking about buying a Canon buy this exact same camera. And 1 other friend who gave up his Nikon for the A65's bigger sibling the A77.

The Camera shoots at 10fps @ 24MP. How many DSLR/DSLT cameras on the Market can do that?

Auto HDR, Auto Panorama are Great Features. I do use Adobe CS6 but still the ability to do it right from the Camera, is Awesome.

The Twilight Mode is awesome for Night Shooting, No tripod needed. In twilight mode the camera fires 6 rapid shots and auto-stitches them together to give you a Great Night Shot.

Even the Video & Built-in Microphone work Great. I used it to video Bag-Pipers at a Parade & when viewed on a TV its like you are there watching it.

I have not ventured into the 3D features of the Camera. Dont Have anything that i can view 3D on. But nice features to have.

All in All Great Camera for the Money.
And keep in mind that Sony Bought Konica Minolta a few years ago, so essentially the camera is a Minolta which has a long history of being a trusted camera.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Easy, easy, smart auto-focus in video.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Wow...that's all I can say. OK... a little more than that. There's a lot to learn on this camera, but it also makes it easy to simply point and shoot - with a lot of great options. After literally months of research, this was my choice. If you need high quality, fast shutter speed, quiet and accurate auto focus with some additional features (like the fantastic Handheld Twilight mode!) - then this is the camera for you. The images are amazing and combined with my Tamron 18-270 lens, I find myself once again enthused with photography - I'm sure you will too!

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I bought this camera with the 50 1.4 lens to use for product shots. It did not disappoint. The image quality is beyond expectations. The camera is full featured, and intuitive. This camera is a tool, a toy, and pure joy.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Great camera! I am replacing my a100, and a65 is the camera that worth buying. I was very interested in the SLT technology when it was first introduced two years ago. I finally decided to hold back on the buying because the EVF wasn't really good. It was also my main concern when buying the A65, since I haven't hand-on tested. The OLED EVF really surprised me, it just look so natural, and much better than the LCD EVF you found on the A55 and 35.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Everything's fine. Big improvement on my A700. I do mostly sports photography and appreciate the increase in images per second especially. There does seem to be a slight delay however when you point the camera at a subject and when you can see it in the viewfinder. Irritating when you see a scene you want and are afraid you might lose the critical moment. Suppose I'll get used to it and in most applications it wouldn't make any difference. Can't say it really makes a difference here either but found it irritating.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

--for not getting the photograph you imagined in the confines of your mind. Fast, user friendly, excellent in camera graphs and exposure indicators as well as in camera processing for low light conditions and moving subjects (predictive focusing). The menus are intuitive and contain tutorials on each setting. This and the A77 may be the very best cameras out there.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

"This photo doesn't look real somehow -- "

Welcome to the world of modern photography.
It is a little disturbing the direction camera makers are headed. Faster, sharper than the human eye and its all getting a little too unreal. And all the time getting a little further away from what you really see out in the field.
Its like they have to compete with what people are used to on their HD TV sets.
When I compare what my new DSLR is giving me to my best slide film images something is missing. Sad.
The funny thing is my old film images are more popular, get the most views and outsell my digital images.

"This photo doesn't look real somehow -- "
Why don't you add your comment to the picture and it may help bring the photographer back to a more natural reality. You may be doing him a favor and the world of modern photography in general.

p.s. Things are getting so sharp that photography of the human face has become downright unflattering. Poor ABC World News anchor now has to be shot slightly out of focus. lol

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I use this camera professionally as a portrait photographer and it works great. Nothing to complain about.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

My previous digital SLR was a Konica-Minolta, now out of business. Because of my investment in Minolta lenses, I was restricted as to brand of a new camera. Also, the K-M had 6.1 pixels and although pixel number isn't everything, my husband's tiny point and shoot was taking clearer photos.

I read about all the Sony cameras (they take my lenses)in my price range and decided the SLT-A65V would suit my needs perfectly.

I am attracted to shots of nature (close up and distant), architecture, and people. I have always relied on the automatic feature and am determined to learn how to calculate my own settings The SLT-A65V has endless possibilities for this task. The zoom and preview features will be extremely useful. The large digital screen and bold MENU lettering are extremely useful for my older eyes. The ability to rotate and conceal the digital screen is an excellent feature for viewing and to prevent nose smudge on the screen. The views through the view finder are extremely clear and easy to read/view.

The only thing that disappoints me is the weight which is heavier than my former digital SLR.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I'm a videographer and photographer and this camera does it all. I've worked with the video capable dslr's before(Canon 5D MarkII and 7D) and have loved the idea of having a camera that can shoot pro-quality video and pro-quality stills. The a55's 24mp sensor takes beautiful still images, but for me the video capabilities were the sell. And the price - over a $1,000 bucks in savings.
One big problem with other video capable dslr's is that getting your desired object in focus can be tricky because your left to trust the lcd screen. Not so with the a65. With the translucent mirror it is now possible to use auto focus in video mode or to use the view finder. When I first heard about the a65 I had to see for myself if it indeed could do auto-focus well in video mode. I went to B+H in NYC and was sold after handling the camera for 5 minutes. It transitions smoothly between points of focus. This camera also has a "peaking" option that highlights the specific area in focus which is great if you love keeping the full manual focus control. No more guess work!
On top of that the video quality is amazing, shooting 24p at 24mbps. That's impressive and it also shoots at 60p at 28mbps. If you're going to shoot video make sure and get a card that can keep up with it. AVCHD used to be an annoying codec to work with, but video editing software is now working well with it. The new FCP chews it up no problem and there are plug-ins like "mustache" that convert it.
I am currently using the Tamron 18-50 2.8-4.5 and the Sony 75-300. They're great lenses and do everything I need. I also purchased the sony shotgun mic and it records great audio.
Considering the investment, going pro has never been so inexpensive.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I upgraded from my a100 and WOW! Flash photo's are 200% better. Video is great. Special effects are awesome. Love all the settings - plenty of different setting that will more than meet my needs. I do mostly family and landscape type (not a pro thought I could be one once but those guys are good!) I will have a lot to learn with this but so far completely satisfied. I do know I will need to get new glass. My old xi lens are a little old for this. Saving for the 16-50 Sony and the 55-200. The 35mm 2.8 works great!

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I bought the Alpha 65 body only and ordered the 16-50 fixed f-stop lens to put with it. For me it's the perfect fit. It keeps it fairly light; and the lens gives amazing light in almost any situation. The menu in the camera in very well-organized and very user friendly. I also printed out the manual from the CD that is provided and had it spiral bound. Any questions that come up, I can access the answer immediately. The pictures taken so far have been sharp, clean and rich with color, They have mostly been of my 2-year old grandson. I got the twinkling catch lights in his eyes every time. I have no negatives about this camera so far. It's a phenomenal camera!

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

This is my first digital camera, only because my photo manager had her processor taken away. Learning to cope with all the new items on the menu has been relatively easy. I miss the simplicity of my 35mm, but seeing as I've had the camera less than two weeks and I find that its getting easier to adjust to the functions, it has an Fn button which makes this really easy.
I bought this camera so I could use my A-mount lens and so far everything has been very sharp. The one feature I really like is the pano. I have an old minolta that has this feature and it was great, this new camera's pano is terrific !!

I would tell anyone that's looking to buy a new digital camera to check this one out, it's quite amazing.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

Great camera overall! Fast shutter speed, great photo quality, lots of extra features like gps, in camera leveler, panorama, and many more! Currently the best deal in the market.

The only two problems I would say is that there is significant noise above 3200, so shooting at low light areas is not the best. Another problem is that there is a slight delay between switching from live view and viewfinder when shooting.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I bought my A65 body to extend the usefulness of my collection of legacy Minolta AF (Maxxum series, so-called A-mount) lenses. What I didn't realize was what a terrific camera it is, lens compatibility aside.

First, the A65 body is indeed *fully* compatible with all of my Minolta AF, Konica-Minolta AF, and 3rd-party licensed Minolta AF (A-mount) lenses (running the gamut from 16-mm fisheye to 300-mm telephoto with 1.4x and 2x teleconverters). The A65 controls those legacy auto-focus lenses with sensitive and accurate auto-focus and aperture controls, and of course manual focus is still always available. (Auto-focus performance had been a concern of mine when I took the plunge and bought the body.) The camera's multi-point auto-focus feature works well.

Second, the performance of the body itself is outstanding. I have used my A65 to take still and motion-picture photography of a rocket launch to Mars, an 18th-century cannon-firing drill, a total lunar eclipse, and sea otters and elephant seals. I mention these because they are about the most challenging targets that photography offers. They require the use of extremely long focal lengths outdoors, in breezes or worse, under sometimes low-light conditions. And you can't get a second chance on these things--the camera has to work properly the first time. My A65 has consistently worked well in these circumstances.

The manual controls have performed flawlessly, as have the automatic controls. The on-board tutorial material for camera operation is easy to access and informative. It's not clear from current on-line documentation, or even in the camera's own user manual, whether a bulb setting is available (needed, e.g., for astrophotography). Don't worry--it's there.

I love the digital frame-view operation. It is excellent for through-the-viewfinder use, as well as the big on-the-camera-back mode and in its flip-down-below-the-back-when-it's-up-high-on-a-tripod mode. The flip-down-below-the-back position is good for holding the camera above your head to shoot over the heads of a crowd, too. Its switcher has an excellent intuition for where your head is, in terms of auto-switching between the view-finder and the big-frame-on-the-camera-back position. And if you want to lock to one mode or another, you can do that. It still feels a little weird sometimes, to not be able to see through the viewfinder until the camera is turned on, but I've become used to it.

The HD video and still quality are amazing--the 24 megapixel array's performance is outstanding, with wide dynamic range, high speed, and excellent color reproduction. It takes professional-level video if you use a tripod and an external microphone. The video files are natively compatible with both PC and Mac video-player and editing apps, at least if you record in the MPEG-4 mode. (I'm not sure about the platform compatibility of the alternate AV-HD file format that's available--I haven't tried it yet.)

The anti-shake feature works reasonably well, but be warned: since the digital array is smaller than the classical 24x36 mm frame size for which most lenses are spec'ed, the camera gives you 1.5x the *effective* focal lengths marked on your lenses. This magnification factor is normal for DSLRs and DSLTs because of their relatively small physical array dimensions. But it means that you must have a VERY stable tripod for lenses with marked focal lengths of 300 mm and above, because now they will effectively be transformed to 450 mm and above. It also means that, if you want to do wide-angle photography, you might need to invest in an even wider-angle lens than the widest one that you've currently got in your arsenal.

The A65's built-in microphone for videos is decent. But as with all body-mounted, built-in mikes, even a slight breeze generates an annoying whooshing sound in the video soundtrack. To mitigate this, I have found that an external shotgun-pattern microphone with a wind-sock cover, plugged into the A65's auxiliary input and gaffer-taped to the tripod to track the camera's pointing direction, works nicely.

If you are going to shoot stills in the fastest-firing frame mode, you need to have a fast (and therefore relatively costly) digital memory card installed. Otherwise, a point will come in the shooting sequence where the camera will stop taking frames so that the memory can catch up.

Overall, I have found the A65 to be an outstanding performer at a reasonable cost--an excellent value for the money. Once you have it, though, you may find yourself wanting/needing to invest in: a high-performance (fast) memory card for high-frame-rate shooting; a better tripod for your long lenses; a good fluid tripod head for videos; a wider-angle lens than the widest you've currently got, to compensate for the 1.5x magnification factor of the digital array size; a remote-control, electronic cable release (it *is* compatible with the legacy Minolta AF series remote releases); and a good external microphone with a wind sock for outdoor video shooting.

Postscript: I didn't think I'd do it, but I ended up buying one more lens for my A65. It's Sony's Zeiss Sonnar 135-mm, f/1.8. It's heavy and pricey but its speed and sharpness are fabulous; I think it's an excellent lens for this body.

Comments about Sony Alpha SLT-A65 DSLR Digital Camera (Body Only):

I purchased an original Sony alpha slr; and enjoyed it; but found it performed poorly in low light situations; and didn't provide optimal auto focus/features. When I had need to replace; I purchased the Alpha 65. What a treat! It's lighter; easier to use; has incredible features, with a great tutorial. The quality is first rate; right out of box I was able to access its features. The transparent view finder is very quiet; and eliminates vibration. The quality of the OLED viewfinder is top notch; and I've had no problems with battery life. My friends who own Canon's are now jeolous that I have a 24.3 megapixel camera; lighter; and with more full features than they have; for less $$. The HD movie feature to me is just a bonus. Need to start spending more time to learn some sophisticated and nuanced features...but its been a very easy learning curve. Great camera.