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1. be assembled under the same guidelines and regu lations as Sony certified batteries They may not hold as much of a charge or may drain too quickly Although they are less expensive the money saved is not worth risking your investment in a high end camera A battery charger is supplied with your camera For U S and Canadian battery chargers unfold the prongs on the charger and plug it directly into an electrical socket For cameras sold outside of the U S and Canada use the supplied cable to plug the battery charger into an electrical socket and then insert the battery into the charger The charge indicator light glows while charging and extinguishes when it is complete If the light flashes this indicates there is a problem such asa defective battery Sony estimates it takes 175 minutes to fully charge a completely depleted battery Future charges will take less time since there should always be some residual charge within the battery How many shots can you take on a fully charged battery Well that depends on how you use the camera how much time you leave the camera powered on between shots and your combination of movies panorama pictures and still pictures Sony estimates that you can record approximately 470 images using the viewfinder and 530 images using the LCD screen This may seem like a lot of recording but it isn t We can easily take this many pictures in one afternoon of photography Keep in mind that if you are also rec2. faster the memory card can receive and record data According to Sony the Class 4 card is the minimum speed needed for recording movies in AVCHD format Instead of using an SD card you may decide to use Sony s Memory Stick These are not as common as SD cards and are associated with Sony s point and shoot cameras The Memory Stick PRO HG Duo records still pictures and movies If you use the Memory Stick PRO Duo to record both stills and movies make sure it is the Mark 2 version You can use any manufacturer s SD SDHC or SDXC Class 4 or faster memory card of Class 4 or faster for both still pictures and movies The size of the memory card you buy depends on how you will use the camera and how you plan to maintain the stored pictures and movies If you plan to take a lot of movies you will need a large amount of memory at least 8 GB If you are going to take mainly still photos 4 GB should suffice At the end of each shooting day we recommend you download the images from your camera to your computer Once the files are downloaded we erase the images on the card by using the camera commands to reformat This allows you to start fresh the next day minimizing the risk of running out of memory It also enables you to use a smaller size memory card thus saving money Memory Card 11 Although you can connect your camera to your computer with a cable and transfer the stored files directly you can also download the files using a card reade
3. to fully exercise your artistic creativity to capture unique images Also you can be confident when you set the white balance shutter speed or aperture that the camera will not override your settings Setting Up Your New Sony A77 When you take your camera out of the box you will have the following components Camera body 23 4 effective megapixel Sony A77 e If purchased one of the following lenses SLT A77K A77VK e DT18 55 mm zoom lens e Front and rear lens cap e Lens hood SLT A77Q A77VQ e DT16 50 mm zoom lens Front and rear lens cap Lens hood Rechargeable NPFM500H InfoLITHIUM battery BC VM10A battery charger e Power cord Not supplied in U S or Canada Shoulder neck strap Eyecup e Battery case Battery 9 USB cable Body cap AV cable e Accessory shoe cap e CD ROM featuring Image Data Converter and Picture Motion Browser PMB Camera manual Make sure you have everything before assembling your new camera It is very easy fully charge your battery attach the lens and insert a memory card on which to store your pictures and movies When you are done you re ready to start Battery The supplied InfoLITHIUM lithium ion battery needs to be fully charged before use It can be damaged if allowed to drain completely Use Sony certified batter ies only Noncertified batteries will void your warranty and may ruin your camera Why Use a Certified Battery Counterfeit batteries may not
4. Chapter 1 Getting Started Introduction The Sony SLT A77 New Features 3 Introduction The Sony SLT A77 New Features At the time of writing the Sony SLT A77 is the most advanced model in this com pany s lineup of fixed mirror interchangeable lens cameras It is an update of the discontinued Sony A33 and A55 and is one of the best Advanced Photo System type C APS C cameras for taking both high resolution still photographs and high quality movies see Movies vs Videos box below Figure 1 1 Sony A77 camera with 16 50 mm kit lens Photograph courtesy of Sony Unlike a digital single lens reflex DSLR camera which requires the mirror to be raised out of the optical light path to the sensor the Sony A77 uses translucent mirror technology with the mirror fixed in position SLT stands for single lens translucent which is Sony s brand name for this technology In essence the trans lucent mirror is a beam splitter diverting some of the light to the automatic focus detector and the majority of the light to the imaging sensor for real time viewing and recording of the subject This combination of mirror and sensor allows for simultaneous focusing and movie recording In addition when taking still pictures and movies the camera can focus extremely rapidly figure 1 2 Among its unique features is a 24 3 megapixel sensor At the time of writing Sony is the only camera manufacturer selling an APS C camera that can recor
5. ate your picture taking to a new level and create images that depict the mood and results you intend This book has chapters for the beginner the intermediate and the expert Beginners can find helpful information in chapter 4 Automatic Settings inter mediate photographers can turn to chapter 6 Taking Control of the Camera and expert photographers can refer to chapter 7 Manual Operation of the Camera Regardless of your skill or interest level this is an exciting camera to use At first the abundance of commands and controls can make the Sony A77 confus ing The book starts with a description of the A77 s automatic functions then goes on to semiautomatic functions and then to manual functions We describe the camera s capabilities in simple terms to help you learn what the camera can do We cover movie making features managing your still pictures and movies and quick tips to help reduce errors and improve your use of the camera In addition we put it all together with some real life scenarios which is especially helpful for novice and intermediate users For the beginner it makes sense to use the camera s automatic modes After gaining experience you can start using commands to override the camera s recommended settings There are two fully automatic modes Auto and Auto which make the camera a point and shoot instrument The Auto option enables the camera to automatically adjust exposure and focus The Aut
6. d at this high resolution 4 Chapter 1 Getting Started What is the difference From a dictionary perspective a movie is a captured series of pictures e g in the motion picture industry and a video is a series of images recorded onto videotape or some other electronic video recording device e g for the television industry Both of these definitions ignore the camera s role in capturing the picture Although we would prefer to refer to the recording of moving pictures on the Sony A77 as a video Sony has chosen to use the term movie To be in synch with Sony s terminology we will be utilizing the term movie when referring to the recording of moving pictures through the camera There may be some cases where industry terminology is so strong that we will use video but those will be the exceptions rather than the rule What makes the Sony s sensor so advantageous for movie making is that it uses asensor with an overall size that is greater than that found in camcorders It is often referred to as an APS C Advanced Photo System Its sensor is 23 5 mm x 15 6 mm which is the size of sensors that is used in most digital SLRs For video work this allows the camera to record with a much narrower depth of field and when shoot ing in low light levels recording less noise Figure 1 2 Light path through the Sony A77 Photograph courtesy of Sony Introduction The Sony SLT A77 New Features 5 The absence o
7. f a hinged mirror provides several advantages Perhaps the most obvious is automatic focusing when recording movies While other DSLRs can do this only Sony uses a high speed phase detection system Other cameras assum ing they automatically focus while recording movies use the slower contrast detection method A second advantage is a high burst rate the camera can rapidly fire multiple shots with a single press of the shutter button Most cameras have a mirror that must be swung out of the light path to the sensor and then returned to its rest position to again direct light to the optical viewfinder This cycle limits how fast the camera can be fired Finally an underappreciated aspect of translucent mirror technology is the inclusion of an electronic first curtain shutter Because of the fixed mirror design and this shutter there is no mechanical movement for initiating exposure This means that the camera is virtually vibration free an advantage for discriminat ing users who do not want to sacrifice sharpness because of camera movement Sony replaced the optical viewfinder with an electronic one Early designs of the electronic viewfinder were inadequate they lacked sharpness and move ment appeared to flicker when viewing rapidly moving objects Now the A77 s electronic viewfinder is sharp enough to be used for focusing and subjects move smoothly across the screen You can also see how settings affect the image before releasing the shut
8. gent software fails to correctly identify the type of scene it uses a generic setting that captures a technically good image just not necessarily the best To obtain accurate scene recognition you can take an active role by turning the mode dial away from AUTO or AUTO to the SCN icon Once there the LCD screen will present a list of eight predefined scene modes Daytime portraits Evening portraits Sports action Hand held twilight Landscapes Sunsets and sunrises Night and Macro figure 1 4 Scroll through the list and select the one that best fits your photographic subject This ensures that the camera can fine tune the focusing exposure and light sensitivity according to your selection and produce an excellent quality picture 8 _ Chapter 1 Getting Started Scene Selection rs and foodfi Figure 1 4 SCN predefined scene modes menu Select Exit The auto and predefined scene modes control the camera settings for you and require the least amount of input Ultimately you can take a step toward greater control by using semiautomatic settings P A and S modes where you select one exposure setting and the camera adjusts the rest automatically For the most experienced users the camera controls can be set manually M mode allowing you to rely on your experience and creativity to select the right settings In this case all of the camera menu and button controls are at your disposal This gives you the opportunity
9. o option does the same thing but goes further by attempting to identify the scene and set the aperture and shutter most appropriate for the subject As in a point and shoot camera you cannot override the camera s exposure recommendation in Auto or Auto modes The Sony A77 uses advanced image processing techniques to improve pictures by firing multiple shots At times the camera will automatically take several shots and combine them to render one superior image from the aggregate in Auto mode It is not always easy to determine which mode to use Auto will record a technically good photograph which is sharp and well exposed but Auto may do a better job when it successfully identifies the scene and employs advance multiple exposure techniques to improve the image Using This Book 7 Figure 1 3a Top of Sony A77 camera body Photograph courtesy of Sony To get started if you already have the fully charged battery pack and memory card installed turn on the camera and then switch on one of the automatic modes by moving the mode dial on the top right of the camera to AUTO or AUTO figures 1 3 a b The Auto or Auto icon will display in the upper left corner of the LCD screen All you need to do is find your subject let the camera do its thing and press the shut ter button It really is that simple Figure 1 3b Close up of mode dial Unfortunately scene identification in the Auto mode can be imperfect If the camera s intelli
10. ording movies the number of images drops considerably Therefore we recommend you get a second battery keep it charged and have it available in the event your camera s battery runs low on power 10 Chapter 1 Getting Started Memory Card You need a memory card to use with this camera Unlike some point and shoot consumer cameras there is no internal memory for storing images and the cam era will not operate without a memory card You may already have a compatible memory card from another camera which you can use for your new Sony A77 as long as it is an SD SDHC or SDXC card If it isn t you will have to purchase one But what should you buy The A77 uses a Secure Digital SD memory card These postage stamp sized cards come in many varieties with various memory capacities and data transfer speeds These cards are designated as SD SDHC or SDXC which refer to the card s maximum memory capacity Don t be too concerned about these designations as it is more important to know the memory capacity of the card see the following Memory Card box and its class rating At the time of writing Sony sells an SDHC Class 10 card that holds 32 gigabytes GB of data for about 100 But you can opt for a 16 GB card about 60 or an 8 GB card about 40 instead If you intend to record movies you need to check the SD card s speed rating Cards are categorized as belonging to classes 2 4 6 8 and 10 the higher the class the
11. r Remove the memory card from the camera and insert it into a card reader connected directly to your computer using a USB cable Many people keep several memory cards for those occasions when they will be doing a lot of recording and cannot download the contents to a computer It s important to note that memory cards can fail and having a backup will ensure that you can resume shooting if your primary card fails For our own photography we tend to use 16 GB cards since they provide plenty of space to accommodate a day s worth of shooting and movie recording Memory Cards The Sony A77 s user manual tells you approximately how many pictures or movies you can record on a memory card The space used depends on the detail within the images and their file type Memory card criteria SD memory card 8 MB to 2 GB SDHC memory card 4 GB to 32 GB e SDXC memory card 48 GB to 64 GB Additional information An SDHC memory card can be used with equipment that s compatible with the SDHC or SDXC memory cards An SDXC memory card can be used only with equipment that s compatible with the SDXC memory card
12. ter The Sony 24 3 megapixel sensor works best at ISO 100 providing the great est dynamic range and generating the least noise The ISO can be reduced to 50 on bright days when you wish to use a long shutter speed to blur motion Under lower light levels the ISO can be increased to 1600 which provides an acceptable image For surveillance work under extremely low lighting conditions the ISO can be raised to a maximum of 16000 Because the A77 sensor s high pixel density requires using smaller photosites the generation of sensor noise is theoretically greater However with the improvement in sensor design the Sony A77 generates good images at ISO 1600 For us this is not a limitation since we rarely go above this setting Previously when working with the A33 and the A55 the ISO s range was smaller ranging from 100 to 12800 whereas the A77 has an expanded ISO range from 50 to 16000 If you want one camera that can do an excellent job for still and movie work this is the camera for you 6 Chapter 1 Getting Started Using This Book The Sony A77 works effectively for all users regardless of their level of expertise It can be used with automatic settings so beginners can take pictures by simply pointing and shooting As you become more proficient you can alter the A77 s exposure and focus settings Eventually you can take full control by setting the camera to manual and disregarding its recommendations This allows you to el ev
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