Need help?
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact us and we’ll help you get the gear you need.
Sony Alpha A77
Available Today
The new Sony a77 is the latest semi-pro offering from Sony. This time around, Sony put forth their 2nd generation translucent mirror technology. It features an all-new 24.3Mp APS-C sensor for high-resolution images with up to 12 frames per second continuous mode for sports photography, as well as full-time phase detection AF to keep up with your subject. Like previous Sony SLT-cameras, the a77 features an electronic viewfinder. This one is the new 2359K OLED Viewfinder for full-time live view. There’s also a 3" 921k articulating LCD that can be used to compose images.
Thanks to the newly refined Sony BIONZ processor, you have an ISO range of 100-16000 (expanded to 50 and 25600). Much like other semi-pro DSLRs, the a77 features a top mounted LCD for easily viewing settings, as well as a built-in flash (GN12) for easy fill. Carried on from previous recent Sony camera models, the a77 has auto HDR and sweep panorama built-in to the camera, along with SteadyShot INSIDE. Rather than fooling with an external accessory, the a77 offers built-in GPS features, which is a welcome feature.
It doesn’t stop with still imaging. The a77 also offers all-new HD video capabilities. Thanks to the new AVCHD 2.0 format, you can record full 1080 at 60p, 60i, and 24p. Full-manual controls are available when using manual focus, while AF is available with AE-lock. It has HDMI output for HD viewing, as well as 1 SD and 1 MS-Duo slot for more storage capabilities.
PLEASE NOTE: While traditional SLR mirrors are extremely sensitive, think of the Sony translucent mirror as a super-duper extremely sensitive dust magnet. If it is touched with anything, it will scratch. Before we send out any camera or adapter that uses one of these mirrors, we clean the mirror and sensor so you do not have dust affect your images or video.
However, anytime you take the body cap off and expose the inside of the camera, you are giving dust free-range to the mirror, which could fall on the sensor. If you see dust on the mirror, any attempt to blow the dust off could actually shift it to the sensor instead. While dust on the mirror could show up in images, it’s not nearly as noticeable as sensor dust. Since we send the sensor and mirror clean, we suggest you ensure the lens you are about to mount is clean, then take the cap off the camera and quickly mount said lens. This will minimize the dust that enters the mirror box.
Tim's Take
Tim Ashbrand
Technical Support Manager
This camera is a huge step in the right direction. Sony took what they started with the a55 and made the necessary improvements to make a very nice semi-pro camera. Yes, the high ISO isn’t that great, but if you are shooting in decent light or in a studio, you will come away with some great files. However, I would suggest NOT shooting JPEGs with the a77, as there is a good bit of detail lost when doing so. The camera feels great in your hand and has a nice button layout. As of firmware V1.05, the menu and button response is about as fast as most semi-pro DSLRs, which no longer holds potential sports shooters back. As you have probably already heard, the EVF is beautiful. If coming from a traditional DSLR with an optical viewfinder, it does take some getting used to though. If you are already invested in the Sony A-mount system, the a77 is great path to take. Slap some Sony-Zeiss on the front and you have a detail-hungry monster!
As a side-note, you will have some pretty big files, so that 5-year old computer in your basement most likely won’t cut it. You might want to consider increasing hard drive space as well.
- Sony a77 camera body
- Body cap
- Strap
- Battery
- Charger
- Manual or cheat sheet
- Camera bag
- The spare battery for this camera is HERE.
- The battery grip for this camera is HERE.
- It uses any SD memory card.
Links
LensRentals.com offers rentals ranging in length from 4 to 90 days. The shopping cart will automatically update the quoted price as you adjust the length of your rental. Our most common rental periods are shown below:
| Rental Period | Waiver Price | Rental Price | Total Price | Approximate Day Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 days | $13.50 | $74.25 | $87.75 | $21.94 |
| 7 days | $18.00 | $99.00 | $117.00 | $16.71 |
| 10 days | $24.25 | $133.75 | $158.00 | $15.80 |
| 14 days | $31.50 | $173.25 | $204.75 | $14.63 |
| 21 days | $42.25 | $232.75 | $275.00 | $13.10 |
| 30 days | $53.00 | $292.00 | $345.00 | $11.50 |
| 45 days | $69.25 | $381.25 | $450.50 | $10.01 |
| 60 days | $81.00 | $445.50 | $526.50 | $8.78 |
| 90 days | $104.50 | $574.25 | $678.75 | $7.54 |
| Rental Period | Rental Price | Approximate Day Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 4 days | $74.25 | $18.56 |
| 7 days | $99.00 | $14.14 |
| 10 days | $133.75 | $13.38 |
| 14 days | $173.25 | $12.38 |
| 21 days | $232.75 | $11.08 |
| 30 days | $292.00 | $9.73 |
| 45 days | $381.25 | $8.47 |
| 60 days | $445.50 | $7.43 |
| 90 days | $574.25 | $6.38 |
LensRentals.com ships via the appropriate FedEx service necessary to have your rental arrive on the date selected. Return shipping is included in the shipping price, and we include a prepaid return label with your order - all you need to do is bring it to a FedEx drop-off location when your rental is complete. If you prefer UPS shipping, you can select it during the checkout process for about 10% more.
Shipping round trip to
- FedEx 2Day
- Calculating Shipping
- FedEx Standard Overnight
- Calculating Shipping
The shopping cart can automatically quote shipping, even for multi-item and oversize orders. Shipping multiple items together offers a significant savings over shipping them individually.