Sony Alpha a57 review

The sharp-shooting DSLT that clocks up 12fps

Sony Alpha a57
The a57 is the latest SLT from Sony to use its translucent mirror technology

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

Sony's high-speed 12fps Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE - coupled with subject tracking - makes light work of freezing action.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

In Standard colour mode, JPEGs straight out of the camera are imbued with faithful hues and a pleasing level of saturation.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

The ability to fine-tune the AF point prioritised by the responsive 15-point system allows for more precise focusing.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Sony Alpha a57's metering system generally copes well - even with trickier lighting situations such as this.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

JPEGs taken straight out of the camera display a pleasing level of detail and sharpness, with scope to improve performance further by investing in additional high-quality lenses.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Sony Alpha a57 is capable of capturing highly detailed landscapes with a wide dynamic range.

Sony Alpha a57 review

Click here to see the full resolution image

Sony's superb Sweep Panorama mode makes a welcome addition to the Sony Alpha a57's feature set, and is capable of producing excellent results.

Sony Alpha a57 review

HDR Auto switched on

Click here to see the full resolution image

The Sony Alpha a57's easy-to-use HDR Auto mode takes several shots in quick succession and automatically combines them to produce a final shot with an expanded dynamic range.

Sony a57 sample image

See high res image.

Even when shooting with the kit lens, an impressive amount of background blur can be achieved.

Sony a57 sample image

See high res image.

A good level of detail is captured by the camera, even in mixed lighting situations.

Sony a57 sample image

See high res image.

This image was captured just as sun was about to set - at around 7.50pm. You can see that the camera has coped well in the low light situation, but it has been slightly underexposed.

Sony a57 sample image

See high res image.

This is the same image as the above shot, but we have made some simple edits in Photoshop Elements to show you what can be achieved with the images taken from the camera. We have adjusted Levels and increased Saturation.