Sony Alpha A55 and A33 launched

The Gadget Show  Tuesday 24 August 2010

Sony Alpha A55 – new mirror tech

The Sony Alpha A55 and A33 have just been announced today. The two new additions to the Alpha range have upped their video capabilities and now features something called “translucent mirror technology”.

Sony is claiming that the Alpha A33 and A55 have the “first ever quick AF HD movie with continuous autofocus during shooting”. So basically the new cams will autofocus even mor quickly when you’re shooting video than ever before.

Both cameras are packing a 15-point AF system, to track fast-moving objects when shooting video, which is, of course, in 1080i HD video in AVCHD, with a maximum recording time of 29 minutes. The Sony Alpha A33 has a 14.2MP sensor, and a top shooting speed of 7fps, while the A55 has a 16.2MP sensor, and can push out a max of 10fps. The cameras weigh in at 433g and 441g respectively, without batteries.

The “translucent mirror technology” means that the Sony Alpha A33 and A55 have a fixed, translucent mirror that splits the optical pathway and feeds it to the main image sensor plus a separate phase-detection autofocus sensor. This means the camera body can be more compact, while improving the live view system. Sony says the new system “provides performance previously unattainable with traditional DSLR technology.”

There’s no word on UK pricing yet, but we’ll let you know asap.