A99 - A glass half full or a glass half empty?

As the year is coming to a close I thought I would look back at the anticipation of the A99, what is the reality and how it seems to be viewed.

Before it appeared, much of the speculation was reasonable, although many hoped for a maintained OVF (which was always unlikely) and predicted the 36MP sensor as used in the Nikon D800. There was certainty about it having video, although not wholly welcomed. The change in hotshoe was mooted too.

The launch, when it finally came, brought everything from great acclaim to wails of disbelief, even before a sample was at hand to test. Certainly the price was hefty and higher than many had hoped, especially in light of the Nikon D600 (but more of that later).

However, as to the camera, how it is performing and whether those initial opinions were justified:

Probably the most difficult to judge, as it is predominantly down to personal taste, is the viewfinder. There is no doubt the A900 had one which was a pleasure to use, but Sony have made a bold decision to follow the EVF route and I am happy with the benefits that brings. There are downsides, but for most situations they are small.

As to image quality, despite the howls about the SLT mirror, I have found it better in every respect than the A900. Of course, much of the time the difference will be barely discernible, but the measurements of sensor performance cannot be denied and it shows in real use, particularly as regards noise, DR and smooth tone.

Then there is performance. Again, this exceeds the A900 and is accompanied by much greater flexibility with the articulating screen, custom buttons and focus depth.

Some critics will say the A99 is not as good as the D600 in low light and is more expensive, is not as high resolution as the D800 and is not as fully featured as the 5DMkIII ,so is a poor camera. These are ‘glass half empty’ people.

Ultimately, I see what we have here is a camera that is the equivalent of a Canon 1DMkIII, a Sony A900 and a Panasonic GH3 all rolled into one. Definitely a glass more than half full!

No, it isn’t perfect with some curious niggles (why can’t you automatically switch from one full card to another and why is the central controller so difficult to press straight???), but I think it is a tour-de-force of a machine and worth every penny.

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2012 : My new year's resolution -
To be decided...