LCD, Viewfinder & Video
One of the key features of the Alpha 65 is its XGA OLED electronic viewfinder. We raved about this technology in the Alpha 77 review, and in turn it picked up our Innovation of the Year award for 2011.
The benefits of an EVF are its ability to view menus, which is useful considering the lack of a top LCD; display information, including a digital level gauge; its exposure preview for elements such as white balance and shutter speed; and the fact that focus magnification can be employed at 5.9x and 11.8x for closer viewing.
The EVF uses a progressive refresh rather than an interlaced signal, which results in a quicker refresh rate than other EVFs. In fast panning is there a hint of ghosting, which is an issue that does not affect an optical viewfinder. This is the best EVF to date.
Sony’s recent Alpha LCD screens use TruBlack technology for strong contrast and deep blacks. The Alpha 65’s 921,600-dot LCD screen picks up smudges very quickly, which makes viewing more difficult in bright light, so the screen benefits from a regular clean.
Like the Alpha 55, the Alpha 65’s screen is articulated from a single hinge point on the bottom and offers fantastic flexibility for multi-angle viewing. The Alpha 77 uses a dual-axis articulation for even more versatile viewing.
To date, Sony Alpha SLT cameras have the edge over the competition when it comes to video recording, thanks to the fixed mirror set-up giving full-time phase-detection AF. Furthermore, 1080p AVCHD files can be recorded at 25p and 50p.
