Metering
Although the unpredictable British summer weather can make it difficult when deciding what to wear, it is very handy for testing cameras in different lighting conditions. I was able to test the Alpha 33 in bright midday sunlight, overcast rainy conditions and during a glowing early evening sunset.
In each scenario the 1,200-zone evaluative metering system performed excellently, producing well-exposed images. Of particular interest is the way the Alpha 33 deals with high-contrast scenes with dark foreground but very bright skies. Generally, the metering system finds a balance between the two, rather than prioritising one over the other. This often leads to the image requiring adjustment, but I found enough detail, particularly in the areas of shadow, to brighten these areas.
Highlights can be blown out when there is a large dark area in the scene, but this is common to most evaluative metering systems.When the evaluative metering mode does need slight adjustment, the exposure compensation adjustment button is easily accessible. Spot and centreweighted metering are also available in more awkward situations. Of the two, I found the centreweighted mode particularly useful. The larger central metering area produces a better average of the part of the area you are metering from, which produces an exposure that is more complementary to the scene as a whole.
Image: Even in its standard colour mode, the Alpha 33 produces bright, punchy images.
