The Alpha 77 ($1,999.99 direct with 16-50mm lens) is the flagship APS-C D-SLR camera in the Sony lineup, coming in only second to the full-frame Alpha 900 ($2,699.99 body only) in price. Like Sony's other current APS-C D-SLRs, the camera features a fixed pellicle mirror and an electronic viewfinder—both departures from traditional SLR designs. Another departure is the kit lens—rather than bundle a low-end 18-55mm zoom, Sony has included a 16-50mm f/2.8 zoom that does a great job in keeping up with the impressive 24-megapixel CMOS sensor. When you add in the ability to shoot at 10.3 frames per second, a built-in GPS, 1080p60 video with continuous autofocus, and good high ISO performance, you have a D-SLR that easily ousts the well-aged Nikon D300 ($1,800, 4.5 stars) as our Editors' Choice for high-end D-SLRs.

Design and Features

You only need pick up the Alpha 77 to feel the care that was put into its design. At 1.6 pounds the camera itself doesn't weigh much more than its smaller sibling, the 1.4-pound Alpha 65 ($999.99 with lens, 4 stars). The 16-50mm f/2.8 lens is bigger and heavier than the 7.4-ounce 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 kit zoom included with the a65—it comes in at 1.3 pounds on its own. The Alpha 77 is also a bit larger than the a65—it measures  4.1 by 5.75 by 3.25 inches (HWD), a bit bigger than the 3.9-by-5.25-by-3.25-inch Alpha 65.

The added size is used well, as the Alpha 77 has a number of additional physical controls that make shooting a dream. Like other D-SLRs in its class, including the Pentax K-5 ($1,249.95 with lens, 3.5 stars), the a77 features front and rear control wheels and a top-mounted monochrome LCD information display. You also get top-mounted controls to adjust the Drive Mode and White Balance, as well as to adjust EV Compensation and the ISO. The standard Mode Dial is located on the top left of the camera. There are also some rear controls, including an Auto Exposure Lock button and a dedicated Movie button.

The most important rear control is the Fn button, which activates an overlay menu to adjust shooting controls. A four-way joystick is used to navigate the menu, which gives you access to the aforementioned settings that have their own dedicated buttons, as well as a few more—including the Metering  Mode, Flash Compensation, Autofocus Area, and Object Tracking. There are also a few options that seem a bit out of place on a photographer's camera—notably a Smile Shutter option—but its mere presence doesn't detract from the camera's functionality.

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The Alpha 77's pellicle mirror design makes it possible for it to use its fast phase detect autofocus system at all times—regardless of whether you are framing shots with its OLED electronic viewfinder or the articulating rear LCD. The EVF is extremely sharp, packing close to 2.4 million dots into a half-inch area. It's also much faster to refresh than traditional LCD EVFs, making it ideally suited for fast action. The rear 3-inch LCD doesn't have quite as many pixels—its 921k dot resolution is on par with other cameras in its class, including the Canon EOS 7D ($1,699 body only, 4 stars). Still, it's bright and sharp—and it features a nice articulating design with two hinges so you can position it as you'd like.

If you're the type of shooter who wants to get out and take photos in inclement weather, note that the Alpha 77 does have some weather sealing—but it's not a fully weatherproof camera like the Pentax K-5 or Olympus E-5 ($1,699.99 body only, 3 stars). The Sony's ports and dials are protected against the elements, but there is no O-ring seal at the lens mount like the Pentax and Olympus feature.