Getting used to a77

[Dr. Harout]

With an ageing eyesight EVF is sure a friendly companion. (I keep saying this to myself to get adapted more quickly to the EVF )
Before receiving my camera I purchased an LCD protector on eBay. It's a nice one and fits very well. In case you are interested click here

[Magnar Fjortoft]

With an ageing eyesight EVF is sure a friendly companion. (I keep saying this to myself to get adapted more quickly to the EVF )

People at your/my age are worth listening to!

Before receiving my camera I purchased an LCD protector on eBay. It's a nice one and fits very well.

I just flip the screen inside out. Protected!

[Dr. Harout]

I am afraid of flipping too much the LCD screen, being afraid of a circuit break in that rotating part. IMHO.

[bossel]

Latest Nexes are also very slow to fully switch off. They just turn off the displays immediately, but the lenses are disengaged only in a few seconds.

Any idea why is it so? After all a55/33/35 don't show such a behavior.

Ultra-sonic sensor cleaning (dust shake off) - do they have that and could it take 1-2 seconds?

[Simmondsphotography]

I agree with Doc's provisional assessment after using my A77 for 10 days in India. It does indeed take 5 seconds to switch off fully so don't be in any hurry to remove the memory card or lens!

The camera is a delight to use and I am learning to really like the EVF viewfinder and I never thought that I would ever see myself writing those words! The DR is better than my A900, dealing well with the contrasty lighting in sunny and hot India. The seals seem to do their job well after a day in the Rathambore National Park my A77 was covered in dust kicked up by the vehicles used to transport us around (open top military type).

I don't like the on/off switch though as it feels as if it is likely to break at any moment when I am using it.

The little built in flash is very useful and seems much more powerful than the A700. However it does tend to over expose when using it and whilst some flash output adjustment is possible it is not the easiest to locate within menu and then use! I need to work on this a bit more.
However I did manage to get some shots at a night time banquet that otherwise would have been lost but they needed a lot of exposure compensation when processing the RAW images using C1 Pro.

Whilst I like the 16-50 F2.8 lens, particularly it's sealing, I do agree with DK's comment about the reach being just too short at the long end. Since returning I have purchased the Zeiss 16-80 F 3.5/4.5 and would recommend any new buyer of the A77 to do the same rather than invest in the 16-50. It is a cracking lens with even better definition than the 16-50 IMHO. That extra length makes all the difference but it is still a light lens for carrying around for travel work.

I have now taken over two thousand shots and it is now my favourite camera. The A700 will go and the A900 is now the back-up! I think that says it all really for the A77.

[Dr. Harout]

Thanks Dave.
I dislike the power button too, not that it's misplaced or it can easily break, but they could at least put the protruding part toward the left when switched on, that is, the off and on places should've been traded, so that it wont bother you while turning the front wheel.

[Alpha_Zagreb]

Before receiving my camera I purchased an LCD protector on eBay. It's a nice one and fits very well. In case you are interested click here

Thanks for the link! I just ordered this from eBay. I now only need A77.

[Ossie]

I agree with Doc's provisional assessment and with Simmondsphotography comments, coincidentally I too have just returned from two weeks in India and can share my experiences.

I dropped the camera with CZ16-80mm attached twice from about 3 feet, once on to concrete and once into the sand dunes of the Thar desert. Camera and lens survived both events without problems.

Some strange behaviour occurred with it randomly switching to video mode on several occasions, JPG's changed to black and white (once) Error message appearing Err1-Bkt3 (once) I had not consciously changed any of the settings or touched the movie button. I also had an overheating warning (once) this on a day when it had not been heavily used. Later when taking hundreds of images in the Thar desert with the temperature over 100f there was no such warning.

I love the big bright EVF, the articulated rear screen, in built but battery draining GPS, its robustness and speed of focusing.

However the rear screen is easily damaged and mine is now severely scratched. A little late for me to follow Doc's example of buying a screen protector.

Using the 16-80mm there is noticeable vignetting that was not apparent when using it on the A700.

It was a great trip and the A77 was a real pleasure to use during it

Ossie

[Simmondsphotography]

Ossie

Fantastic coincidence, I really fell for the A77 in India and wish I had the 16-80 ZA with me as the 16-50mm was just too short for what I needed.

Tell me, which end does the 16-80 vignette? I am guessing the wide end if so at what FL does the vignetting stop?

Isn't India a fascinating place? It's not called Incredible India for nothing! I received many quotes from Indian people but my favourite is " the British introduced us to bureaucracy but it needed India to perfect it!" All said with a beaming smile! The whole place seems to operate in total chaos and yet it all works and works quite well. I just loved it.

[Dr. Harout]

A dislike that I noticed today. While shooting with the Twin flash, the battery got exhausted so I had to switch off the camera... it just hang.
I tried the F42 at home, and after switching off the camera while the flash was still on, it hang again.
So my advice: always switch off the flash first!
And Sony do fix this bug.

[Greg Beetham]

Doc I'm surprised that you're surprised, the A77 was reported to be buggy by numerous owners, maybe Sony should release a list of gim err features that owners should turn off while doing certain things. Like the GPS might need to be turned off when using flash, or the AS might need to be turned off when using video and AF together, and the AF tracking might need turning off when the EVF is on....stuff like that.
Greg

[Dr. Harout]

To all a77 owners/users, does anyone know what the "Demo Mode" is and how could we turn it on?
I tried many combinations with no luck, it just doesn't get highlighted.

[bfitzgerald]

I think it let's you play a hidden version of Gran Turismo

Sorry couldn't resist!

[Dr. Harout]

OK for the Gran Turismo. But how do you get it highlighted?

[dennismullen]

After trying to find a way to adjust the front focus on my A65 it doesn't seem to have the three screw adjustment like the A55 and older cameras.
This makes me think there might be a hidden test mode to go in and adjust it like a one shot micro adjust. It would be nice to know this if it was true.

Cheers,