Features
The most notable of the Alpha 35’s features is the updated imaging sensor, containing 16.2 million pixels. This marks a 2-million-pixel increase over its immediate predecessor, the Alpha 33, and is equal in number to the Alpha 55.
However, Sony assures us that the sensor is a refined version and is not the same as that used in the Alpha 55. Last time round we were impressed by the Alpha 55’s sensor and its image-quality, so I expect very good things here. As before, the Alpha 35 uses Sony’s Bionz processor for JPEG and raw files, while the sensitivity range remains at ISO 100-12,800.
Images can be viewed on both the 3in, 921,000-dot LCD screen and the 1.15-million-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF). A sensor just below the EVF detects whether the user has their eye held up to it, and will automatically switch the view between the two screens.
After the fixed LCD, a second key difference between the Alpha 35 and the more expensive Alpha 55 is that the shooting rate is 5.5fps in the Alpha 35 rather than 10fps. A new shooting mode is available in the form of tele-zoom high-speed, which applies a 1.4x magnification to the frame for a more responsive 7fps high-speed burst with continuous AF.
Several new picture effects can now be applied to still and moving images pre-capture. When set before shooting, both live view and the EVF can display the effect, which provides a useful reference. The seven new effects include retro photo and high key.
