Autofocus
As we explained in our test of the Alpha 33 (AP 9 October 2010), the fixed translucent mirror allows the constant exposure of the AF sensor to light, which means that autofocus is always available. This is of particular interest to action photographers and video users. While it is not quite as responsive as the latest Panasonic G-series cameras – the fastest we’ve yet tested – it is up there among the quickest.
The new, 7fps tele-zoom high-speed mode can be found on the shooting-mode dial. When set, the frame is magnified by 1.4x, which means the frame edges are clipped. Continuous AF is available, although exposure control is sacrificed.
This can be regained by selecting single-frame AF (AF-S), but the point here is to have a responsive high-speed burst with continuous AF. In this mode, I could achieve much longer and more responsive high-speed bursts, and it is likely to please action photographers.
