# Sony SLT camera

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sony_SLT_camera
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Sony_SLT_camera.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_SLT_camera
> Source revision: 1343847891
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Range of cameras using a semi-transparent mirror

The Sony SLT design features a [pellicle mirror](/source/Pellicle_mirror) which allows light to strike both the [digital image sensor](/source/Digital_image_sensor) (parallel to the lens mount, behind mirror) and [phase-detection autofocus](/source/Autofocus#Phase_detection) sensor (perpendicular to the mount) at all times.

**Single-lens translucent** (**SLT**) is a [Sony](/source/Sony) proprietary designation for [Sony Alpha](/source/Sony_Alpha) cameras which employ a [pellicle mirror](/source/Pellicle_mirror), [electronic viewfinder](/source/Electronic_viewfinder), and [phase-detection autofocus](/source/Autofocus#Phase_detection) system. They employ the same [Minolta A-mount](/source/Minolta_A-mount) as Sony Alpha DSLR cameras.[1]

Sony SLT cameras have a semi-transparent fixed mirror which diverts a portion of incoming light to a phase-detection autofocus sensor, while the remaining light strikes the digital image sensor. The image sensor feeds the electronic viewfinder and also records still images and video on command. The utility of the SLT design is to allow full-time phase-detection autofocus during electronic viewfinder, [live view](/source/Live_view), and video recording operation.[2][3] With the advent of digital image sensors with integrated phase-detection, the SLT design is no longer required to accomplish this goal, as evidenced by cameras such as the Sony NEX-5R, Fujifilm X-100s, and [Nikon 1](/source/Nikon_1),[4][5] although the SLT design avoids having pixels unavailable for image formation due to their space on the sensor being occupied by a dedicated phase detection autofocus sensor.

The term "[translucent](/source/Translucent)" is a misnomer for the actual SLT design, which employs a [pellicle mirror](/source/Pellicle_mirror) that is not translucent[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]. Pellicle mirrors have been used in [single-lens reflex cameras](/source/Single-lens_reflex_camera) from at least the 1960s (see [Canon Pellix](/source/Canon_Pellix)) and in the Pentax EI2000/Hewlett Packard 912 digital SLR of 2000 which used an optical viewfinder and on-sensor contrast-detection focusing.

## List of SLT cameras

Sony Alpha 55

Model Announcement Megapixels Sensor Screen Built-in flash Sony Alpha 33 2010 14 MP APS-C 3" articulated (pop-up) Sony Alpha 35 2011 16 MP APS-C 3" fixed (pop-up) Sony Alpha 37 2012 16 MP APS-C 2.7" tilting (pop-up) Sony Alpha 55 2010 16 MP APS-C 3" articulated (pop-up) Sony Alpha 57 2012 16 MP APS-C 3" articulated (pop-up) Sony Alpha 58 2013 20 MP APS-C 2.7" tilting (pop-up) Sony Alpha 65 2011 24 MP APS-C 3" articulated (pop-up) Sony Alpha 68 2015 24 MP APS-C 2.7" tilting (pop-up) Sony Alpha 77 2011 24 MP APS-C 3" fully articulated (pop-up) Sony Alpha 77 II 2014 24 MP APS-C 3" fully articulated (pop-up) Sony Alpha 99 2012 24 MP Full-frame sensor 3" fully articulated Sony Alpha 99 II 2016 42 MP Full-frame sensor 3" fully articulated

All of the above cameras record 1920x1080 video at 60i/30p (NTSC regions) or 50i/25p (PAL regions), in [MPEG-4](/source/MPEG-4), [AVCHD](/source/AVCHD) or [H.264](/source/H.264) formats. The Alpha 65 and 77 also records video at 50p or 60p, and the Alpha 99II records 4k video at 100 Mbit/s (using XAVC S) with full sensor read-out.

Source: summarised from the [full comparison table at DP Review](http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=sony_slta33&products=sony_slta35&products=sony_slta37&products=sony_slta55&products=sony_slta57&products=sony_slta58&products=sony_slta65&products=sony_slta68&products=sony_slta77&products=sony_slta77ii&products=sony_slta99&products=sony_slta99_ii&sortDir=ascending).

## See also

- [Digital single-lens reflex camera](/source/Digital_single-lens_reflex_camera)

- [Sony ILCA camera](/source/Sony_ILCA_camera)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Lenses for Translucent Mirror cameras"](http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/dslr-slt/a-mount-lens). *[Sony](/source/Sony).com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Sony Single-Lens Translucent Cameras"](http://www.kolarivision.com/translucentmirror.html). *KolariVision.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Mirrorless Cameras: A Primer"](http://www.dpreview.com/articles/0344780582/mirrorless-cameras-a-primer). December 15, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Fujifilm's phase detection system explained"](http://www.dpreview.com/news/2010/8/5/fujifilmpd). *[Digital Photography Review](/source/Digital_Photography_Review)*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Mike Tomkins. ["Nikon V1, J1: Two new compact system cameras for Nikon's mirrorless debut"](http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS/1316578774.html). *Imaging Resource*.

v t e Minolta | Konica Minolta | Sony DSLR and SLT A-mount timeline Level Sensor 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Professional Full frame α900 α99 α99 II α850 High-end APS-C DG-7D α700 α77 α77 II Midrange α65 α68 Upper-entry α55 α57 α100 α550 F α580 α58 DG-5D α500 α560 α450 Entry-level α33 α35 α37 α350 F α380 α390 α300 α330 α200 α230 α290 Early models Minolta 7000 with SB-70/SB-70S (1986) · Minolta 9000 with SB-90/SB-90S (1986) (Still video SLRs) Minolta MS-C1100 (1992) · Minolta RD-175 (1995) Level Sensor 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Single-lens translucent (SLT) camera 5-axis in-body image stabilization (bold) HD video capable (Video AF) Dual phase-detection AF (italic) SCREEN: Flip F, Front Flip F+, Articulating A

v t e Photography Equipment Camera Box camera light-field digital field instant phone pinhole press rangefinder SLR still TLR toy view Darkroom enlarger safelight Film base format holder stock available films discontinued films Filter Flash beauty dish cucoloris gobo hot shoe lens hood monolight reflector snoot softbox Lens long-focus prime zoom wide-angle fisheye swivel telephoto Manufacturers Monopod Movie projector Slide projector Tripod head Zone plate Terminology 35 mm equivalent focal length Abbreviations list Angle of view Aperture Backscatter Black and white Chromatic aberration Circle of confusion Clipping Color balance Color temperature Depth of field Depth of focus Exposure Exposure compensation Exposure value F-number Film format 35mm large medium Film speed Focal length Guide number Hyperfocal distance Lens flare Metering mode Perspective distortion Telephoto compression Photograph Photographic printing Albumen Photographic processes Reciprocity Red-eye effect Science of photography Shutter speed Sync Zebra patterning Zone System Genres Abstract Aerial Aircraft Architectural Astrophotography Banquet Candid Conceptual Conservation Cloudscape Documentary Eclipse Ethnographic Erotic Fashion Fine-art Fire Fireworks Forensic Glamour High-speed Landscape Monochrome Nature Neues Sehen Nude Photojournalism Pictorialism Pornography Portrait Post-mortem Ruins Selfie space selfie Social documentary Sports Still life Stock Straight photography Street Underwater Vernacular Wedding Wildlife Techniques Afocal Blur Bokeh Bracketing Brenizer Burst mode Combination printing Contre-jour Crittercam (Pigeon photography) ETTR Fill flash Focus stacking Hand-colouring Harris shutter High-speed Holography Infrared Intentional camera movement Kirlian Kite aerial Lo-fi photography Lomography Long-exposure Luminogram Macro Manipulation Mordançage Multiple exposure Multi-exposure HDR capture Night Panning Panoramic Photogram Photomontage Print toning Redscale Rephotography Rollout Scanography Schlieren photography Sabattier effect Slow motion Stereoscopy Stopping down Strip Slit-scan Sprocket hole Sun printing Tilt–shift Miniature faking Time-lapse Ultraviolet Vignetting Xerography Zoom burst Composition Diagonal method Framing Headroom Lead room Rule of thirds Simplicity Golden triangle (composition) History Timeline of photography technology Albumen print Ambrotype Analog (film) photography Autochrome Lumière Calotype Camera obscura Daguerreotype Dufaycolor Heliography Lippmann plate Painted photography backdrops Photography and the law Photographic plate Salt print Tintype Visual arts Regional Albania Australia Bangladesh Canada China Colombia Denmark Greece India Japan Korea Luxembourg New Zealand Norway Philippines Serbia Slovenia Sudan Taiwan Turkey Ukraine United States Uzbekistan Vietnam Digital photography Digital camera D-SLR MILC camera back Digiscoping Comparison of digital and film photography Film scanner Image sensor CMOS APS CCD Three-CCD camera Foveon X3 sensor Photo response non-uniformity Image sharing Pixel Color photography Print film Chromogenic print Reversal film Color management color space primary color CMYK color model RGB color model Photographic processing Anthotype Bleach bypass C-41 process Carbon print Collodion process Cross processing Cyanotype Developer Digital image processing Dye coupler E-6 process Fixer Gelatin silver print Gum printing Instant film K-14 process Photogravure Print permanence Push processing Salt print Stop bath Lists Largest photographs Most expensive photographs Museums devoted to one photographer Photographs considered the most important Photographers Norwegian Polish street women Photography periodicals Related Conservation and restoration of photographs film photographic plates Polaroid art Stereoscopy Say cheese

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Sony SLT camera](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_SLT_camera) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_SLT_camera?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.