Camera Menus
The A99's menus will be immediately familiar to anyone who's shot a Sony DSLR (or a Minolta, for that matter, since they've evolved from that system). Here they feature 107 menu items spread among 21 pages, divided into seven categories. Unfortunately, unlike 'tabbed' menu systems from Nikon and Canon, you can't jump from one category to the next. You're forced instead to flip through each page in a category to get to the next one. On a menu system with as many options as the A99, this can mean flicking through as many as 10 pages to get to the one you want.
To be fair, it's usually quite easy to work out where the setting you're looking for is going to be, even if it takes a while to navigate to it. One of our first tasks then with any Alpha model is to set the option to revert to the last-used setting when you re-enter the menu system, which can save a lot of time otherwise spent repeatedly scrolling through pages. Most helpfully though, the reintroduction of the Quick Navi menu means that your trips to the main menu are significantly reduced.
The rear dial can be used to scroll through pages, while the front dial scrolls up and down through the options - looping onto the next page if you reach the bottom or top of the page you're on. Alternatively you can use the joystick on the back of the camera. A key setting to find early on is the 'Menu Start' option (Setup page 1) that allows you to decide whether to re-enter the menu at the first option or back at the last setting you used. In menus this long, we're recommend the latter.
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| The A99's menu contains 107 options spread over 21 pages. For this reason we think it's worth setting the 'Menu Start' option to 'previous' so that pressing the Menu button returns you to the last edited setting, rather than to the first menu page. |
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Shooting menu
The four shooting menu pages cover some basic behavioral operations (such as SteadyShot and whether pressing the shutter button sets exposure or focus) and image settings (size, color and processing).
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| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| Image size | • L: 24M (20M in 16:9) • M: 12M (8.7M in 16:9) • S: 4.6M (3.9M in 16:9) |
- 6000 x 4000 (6000 x 3376 in 16:9) - 3936 x 2624 (3936 x 2216 in 16:9) - 2640 x 1760 (2640 x 1488 in 16:9) |
| Aspect Ratio | • 3:2 • 16:9 |
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| Quality | • RAW • RAW & JPEG • Extra Fine • Fine • Standard |
(Raw & JPEG creates a Fine JPEG) |
| Panorama: Size | • Standard • Wide |
Only available in Panorama mode |
| Panorama: Detection | • Right • Left • Up • Down |
Only available in Panorama mode |
| Page two | ||
| Clear Image Zoom | • On • Off |
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| Digital Zoom | • On • Off |
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| Long Exposure NR | • On • Off |
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| High ISO NR. | • Normal • Low • Off |
Increases noise reduction at ISO 1600 or above. |
| Flash control | • ADI Flash • Pre-flash TTL |
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| Power ratio | • 1/1 • 1/2 • 1/4 • 1/8 • 1/16 |
Only available when Manual Flash is selected |
| AF illuminator | • Auto • Off |
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| Page three | ||
| SteadyShot | • On • Off |
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| AF drive speed | • Fast • Slow |
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| Color Space | • sRGB • AdobeRGB |
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| Silent Controller | • Focus Mode • AF Area • Select AF area • Exposure Comp. • ISO • Metering Mode |
This setting can also be adjusted by holding the Silent Controller's central button down |
| Page four | ||
| Exposure step | • 0.5 EV • 0.3 EV |
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| Priority setup | • AF • Release |
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| AF w/ shutter | • On • Off |
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| AEL w/shutter | • On • Off |
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| Memory | • Select | |
Movie menu
Although the A99's core movie capabilities are very similar to those in many of the company's other current cameras, it offers a few extra features and settings. These include defining the role of the 'Silent Controller' dial on the front of the camera and setting how persistent the autofocus is when tracking a target.
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|---|---|---|
| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| File Format | • AVCHD • MP4 |
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| Record Setting | • 60i 24M (FX) • 60i 17M (FH) • 60p 28M (PS) • 24p 24M (FX) • 24p 17M (FH) |
50i/p in European units |
| SteadyShot | • On • Off |
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| AF Tracking Duration | • High • Mid • Low |
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| Auto Slow Shutter | • On • Off |
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| Silent Controller | • Audio Rec Level • Focus Mode • AF Area • Select AF area • Exposure Comp. • ISO • Metering Mode • Shutter Speed • Aperture |
This setting can also be adjusted by holding the Silent Controller's central button down (While recording) |
| Page two | ||
| Audio Recording | • On • Off |
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| Wind Noise Reduct. | • On • Off |
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| Audio Rec Level | • Level, 0 – 31 • Reset |
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| Audio Level Display | • On • Off |
Shows the audio level (Movie mode only) when rec level is being changed |
| Audio Output Timing | • Live • Lip Sync |
Lip Sync delays audio output by the slight delay taken to record the video |
Custom menu
The A99's custom menus run to six pages, and allow a pretty high degree of camera configuration. Here you'll also find all the settings relating to the user interface.
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|---|---|---|
| Option | Values / Actions | Notes |
| Page one | ||
| Eye-Start AF | • On • Off |
Sets the camera to AF if it detects an eye has been put to the viewfinder. |
| FINDER/LCD setting | • Auto • Manual |
Switch between rear LCD and EVF |
| Red Eye Reduction | • On • Off |
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| Release w/o Lens | • Enable • Disable |
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| S. Auto Cont. Shooting | • Auto • Off |
Continuous shooting in Auto+ mode |
| S. Auto Image Extract. | • Auto • Off |
Saving all images that were shot continuously in Auto+ mode |
| Page two | ||
| Grid Line | • Rule of 3rds Grid • Square Grid • Diag. +Square Grid • Off |
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| Auto Review | • 10 Sec • 5 Sec • 2 Sec • Off |
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| DISP Button (Monitor) | • Graphic Display • Display All Info. • No Disp. Info. • Level • Histogram • For viewfinder |
Sets which screens are available on the rear display when shooting. |
| DISP Button (Finder) | • Graphic Display • Display All Info. • No Disp. Info. • Level • Histogram |
Sets which screens are available in the viewfinder when shooting. |
| Page three | ||
| AF RANGE Button | • AF Range Control • In-Camera Guide |
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| AF Range Control Assist | • On • Off |
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| Peaking Level | • High • Mid • Low • Off |
Sets the sensitivity of the |
| Peaking Color | • Red • Yellow • White |
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| Live View Display | • Setting Effect On • Setting Effect Off |
Defines whether the preview represents exposure brightness |
| Page four | ||
| Func. of AEL button | • Exposure Comp. • Drive Mode • Flash Mode • Focus Mode • AF area • Smile/Face Detect. • Auto Port. Framing • ISO • Metering Mode • Flash Comp. • White Balance • DRO/Auto HDR • Creative Style • Picture Effect • Image Size • Quality • AEL hold • AEL toggle • Spot AEL hold • Spot AEL toggle • FEL Lock hold • FEL Lock toggle • Object Tracking • AF/MF Control Hold • AF/MF Control Toggle • AF lock • AF On • Aperture Preview • Shot. Result Preview • Focus Magnifier • Memory |
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| ISO Button | • As above | |
| AF/MF button | • As above | |
| Custom button | • As above | |
| Preview Button | • As above | |
| Smart Telecon. Button | • Smart Telecon. • Zoom • Focus Magnifier |
Smart Teleconverter offers crops of the image, Zoom uses Clear Image Zoom and Digital Zoom to give full res |
| Focus Hold Button | • Focus Hold • Preview Button |
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| Page five | ||
| MOVIE Button | • Always • Movie Mode Only |
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| Ctrl dial setup | • Front Dial SS, Rear Dial F/no. • Front Dial F/no. Rear Dial SS |
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| Dial exp.comp | • Off • Front Dial • Rear Dial |
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| Exp. comp. set | • Ambient&flash • Ambient only |
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| Bracket order | • 0 – + • – 0 + |
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| Page five | ||
| Lens Comp.: Shading | • Auto • Off |
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| Lens Comp.: Chro.Aber. | • Auto • Off |
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| Lens Comp.: Distortion | • Auto • Off |
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| e-Front Curtain Shutter | • On • Off |
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| Face Priority Tracking | • On • Off |
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| Face Registration | • New Registration • Order Exchanging • Delete • Delete All |
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