For Alpha A77 II Sony updates AF, adds clean HDMI, brings features into 2014

Well, the good news is that Sony's A-mount cameras aren't dead. The Alpha SLT-A77V , the company's $1,199.99 (body) midrange single-lens translucent (SLT) camera, with a fixed rather than reflex mirror, has been languishing for over 2 years. Now it finally gets an update; as reflected by its name, the A77 II, there's nothing earthshaking here. The major changes include an upgraded autofocus system and incorporation of the latest Bionz X image-processing engine, which enables Sony to bring the feature set up to parity with its current cameras.

With this camera, Sony also drops the "SLT" naming convention, moving to ILCA -- the "A" is for A-mount -- in parallel to its E-mount move to "ILCE".

Sony updates the A77: What's the diff? (pictures)

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This market segment -- $1200 or so prosumer cameras suited for shooting action -- is actually a pretty important niche, despite the long delays in upgrades we tend to see. Physically, the A77 II is almost identical to the A77V. As I like the A77V's design, I have no complaints about that, and it means that the A77 II can use the same accessories as its predecessor. The exception is the hot shoe, as Sony's phasing out the legacy Konica-Minolta shoe in favor of its several-years-old multi-interface shoe. You'll be able to use an adapter with an existing flash, however.

Notably, Sony has dropped the 3D setting from the mode dial to make room for 3 direct-access custom-setting slots. (The A77V had three slots but you selected among them onscreen via one Memory Recall slot on the dial.)

In addition to moving to a phase-detection sensor with more focus points, Sony increased the number of AF options available, adding the ability to determine the subject-tracking duration and balance focus vs. release priority during continuous AF, a Range-Control focus limiter, and Eye AF mode for locking onto people's eyes. Tweaks to the A77V's AF implementation include focus-point expansion and improvements in predictive AF. If you think continuous autofocus options have gotten too confusing, you're not alone. And even if the options are useful, and you've worked out when to use which focus-area mode, there's rarely a way to quickly switch among them.

Though Sony hasn't increased the continuous-shooting rate, the A77V has a deeper frame buffer for more shots in a burst. And if you don't care about changes in exposure it can now burst to 12fps with continuous AF -- useful on the infrequent occasions when your subject doesn't move through shadows or other obstructed lighting conditions.

Improved movie options include clean HDMI output -- yay -- Zebra and audio-level metering. And, a capability near and dear to my heart, the A77 II will support tethered shooting.

Also, in keeping with its wireless-everywhere strategy, Sony adds Wi-Fi with NFC to this model.

Some drawbacks remain, though. It still doesn't have a small- or medium-sized raw format, and it still has only a single card slot. And perhaps most problematic, the already mediocre battery life of the A77V drops even further; it's obviously drawing more power but relying on the same battery.

Here are your choices in this camera class. I didn't have room to fit all the possible competitors in the chart: keep in mind that you now need to factor cameras such as the Fujifilm X-T1 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 into your buying decisions in this class, and if you discount sensor size there's also the Nikon 1 V3 .