Sony's new A57 brings high-end features to low-end DSLRs

Sony's new Alpha SLT-A57 is Sony's most important entry-level DSLR (yes, it's actually an EVIL design, but in a DSLR-like body) to date. Here's some of the new camera's features:

• A 1.44 megapixel LCD viewfinder
• 10 fps continuous shooting mode with autofocus
• Autofocus built into the body rather than the lenses
• 1920 x 1080 video at 60P or 24P (50P and 25P in Europe), with AVCHD 2.0 compression
• A bigger battery, the same as the A65 and A77

The A57, with a kit 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 lens, will have a suggested list price of $799. The body alone will cost $699. As Digital Photography Review points out, the A57 is a slightly feature-reduced version of the A65 with a 16 MP imager instead of the 24.3 MP imager in the A65, for $300 less. It's going to be a serious alternative to Canon's T3i and Nikon's D5100, especially for videographers. It's also a better value for the money than Sony's own NEX cameras, although it's considerably larger.

Digital Photography Review has a site where you can compare images from the A57 with those from a variety of other cameras side-by-side. Click here to visit their site.