Sony Alpha SLT-A33 vs Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57
      68
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      69
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and the Sony Alpha SLT-A57, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 was introduced in August 2010 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 was introduced in September 2012. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 Highlights

      • 14.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 15 Focus Points (15 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 1,150k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 7.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57 Highlights

      • 16.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 16,000 Native ISO
      • 15 Focus Points (15 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • 1,440k dot Electronic Viewfinder
      • 12.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A33
      4. Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A57
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57.

      PROS

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 14.2 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,150k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 340 shots
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 550 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 70
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 12.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 75
      •   Weight - 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz)

      Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony SLT-A33
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha SLT-A33 over Sony Alpha SLT-A57.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 vs Sony Alpha SLT-A57
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.73x vs 0.69x
      Lighter 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz) vs 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha SLT-A33.

      Sony SLT-A68
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A35
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A37
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      APS-C

      16.1 MP

      Sony SLT-A65
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A99 II
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Sony SLT-A99
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      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A58
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      APS-C

      20.1 MP

      Sony SLT-A77 II
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A77
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A55
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony a9 II
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      Full Frame

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D60
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Advantage of Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      Sony SLT-A57
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha SLT-A57 over Sony Alpha SLT-A33.

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 vs Sony Alpha SLT-A57
      Higher Sensor Resolution 14.2 Megapixel vs 16.1 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 16,000
      Max Image Resolution 4592 x 3056 vs 4912 x 3264
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Higher Resolution Viewfinder 1,150k dot vs 1,440k dot
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps vs 12.0 fps
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 591 vs 785
      Higher DxO Color Depth 22.8 vs 23.4
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 12.6 vs 13.0
      Higher DxO Overall Score 70 vs 75
      Speaker vs Mono
      Longer Battery Life 340 shots vs 550 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha SLT-A57.

      Sony SLT-A58
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      APS-C

      20.1 MP

      Sony SLT-A77
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A37
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      APS-C

      16.1 MP

      Sony SLT-A77 II
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A99
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      Full Frame

      24.3 MP

      Sony SLT-A35
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A55
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A68
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sony SLT-A99 II
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Sony SLT-A65
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Canon M3
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Nikon D7500
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      APS-C

      20.9 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Sony Alpha SLT-A33 Sony Alpha SLT-A57
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image StabilizationSensor ShiftSensor Shift
        Screen TypeFully ArticulatedFully Articulated
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Type C Mini Type C
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Sony Alpha SLT-A33 Sony Alpha SLT-A57
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Cross-type Focus Points33
        Low Resolution Viewfinder1,150k dot1,440k dot
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi is possible Eye-Fi is possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing
        Short Battery Life340 shots550 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 have 3.0" Fully Articulated screens with 921k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes cameras selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting.

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      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,150k dot resolution and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dot resolution. They both have 100% coverage.

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 features a 14.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 366.6 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Sony Alpha SLT-A57 features a 16.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 243.4 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 16,000 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4592 x 3056 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4592 x 2576, 3344 x 2224, 2288 x 1520, 2288 x 1280 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Sony Alpha SLT-A57 can take pictures up to 4912 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4912 x 2760, 3568 x 2368, 3568 x 2000, 2448 x 1624, 2448 x 1376 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Sony A lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.5x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.


      In-Body Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when cameras are paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Sony Alpha SLT-A33 has a Mini Type C HDMI and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 has a Mini Type C HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 comes with NP-FW50 battery pack with battery life of 340 shots and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 comes with NP-FM500H battery pack with battery life of 550 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 has Electronically controlled Vertical-traverse Focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha SLT-A33, and up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha SLT-A57. Sony Alpha SLT-A33 can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps. Sony Alpha SLT-A57 can shoot continuously up to 12.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 10.00 m (@ ISO 100).. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Sony Alpha SLT-A57. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 body has dimensions of 124 x 92 x 85 mm (4.88 x 3.62 x 3.35") and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 body has dimensions of 132 x 98 x 81 mm (5.2 x 3.86 x 3.19"). Sony Alpha SLT-A33 weighs 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz) and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 weighs 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz).

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      124 mm

      92 mm

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      132 mm

      98 mm

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      92 mm

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      98 mm

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      85 mm

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      81 mm

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      Size comparisons of Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      70
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      71
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,150k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 340 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      72
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 12.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 550 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,150k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 340 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 12.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 550 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      81
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      81
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      84
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz)
      GOOD
      83
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      82
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 340 shots
      GOOD
      80
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 550 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Sony Alpha SLT-A33 and Sony Alpha SLT-A57 and give them scores of 68 and 69 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      OVERALL
      68
      OVERALL
      69

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 14.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 70
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   16,000 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 75

      Photo

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      71
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      GOOD
      72
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 12.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec

      Video

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      72
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      73
      •   15 Focus Points
      •   3 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      78
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,150k dot
      GOOD
      78
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Resolution Viewfinder - 1,440k dot

      Connectivity

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      78
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Sony Alpha SLT-A33

      Sony Alpha SLT-A57

      POOR
      40
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 500 g (1.10 lb / 17.64 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 340 shots
      POOR
      41
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 618 g (1.36 lb / 21.80 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 550 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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