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Sony A68 Comparison Review

The Sony Alpha SLT-A68 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was officially introduced in November 2015 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

camera

Is the Sony A68 a good camera? The A68 has a Camera Elo of 1973. This rating puts the A68 among the top 40 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the A68 ranks among the top 50 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 3.5-star performance rating.

Headline Specifications
Sony A68
Digital single lens reflex
Sony A mount lenses
24 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/60i Video
ISO 100 - 25 600
Electronic viewfinder (1440k dots)
2.7 LCD, 460k dots
Tilting screen (no touchscreen)
8 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
540 shots per battery charge
143 x 104 x 81 mm, 610 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Sony A68 vis-à-vis a credit card. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Sony A68 vs credit card front
A68 versus credit card top view
A68 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Sony A68 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
    Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A68 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 610 g 540 n Nov 2015 US$ 699ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 750D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 555 g 440 n Feb 2015 US$ 749ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 760D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 565 g 440 n Feb 2015 US$ 649ebay.com
4.
 
Panasonic TZ100 111 mm 65 mm 44 mm 312 g 300 n Jan 2016 US$ 699ebay.com
5.
 
Pentax K-S1 121 mm 93 mm 70 mm 558 g 410 n Aug 2014 US$ 749ebay.com
6.
 
Sony A7 II 127 mm 96 mm 60 mm 599 g 350 Y Nov 2014 US$ 1 999ebay.com
7.
 
Sony A58 129 mm 95 mm 78 mm 492 g 690 n Feb 2013 US$ 599ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A77 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 732 g 470 Y Aug 2011 US$ 1 399ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A77 II 143 mm 104 mm 81 mm 647 g 480 Y May 2014 US$ 1 199ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A6000 120 mm 67 mm 45 mm 344 g 360 n Feb 2014 US$ 599ebay.com
11.
 
Sony RX100 III 102 mm 58 mm 41 mm 290 g 320 n May 2014 US$ 799ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Sony A68 was launched in the US market at a price of $699. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Sony A68 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.5. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Sony A68 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Sony A68 sensor measures

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
    Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Sony A68 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60i24.113.570179
2.
 
Canon 750D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.712.091971
3.
 
Canon 760D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.612.091570
4.
 
Panasonic TZ100 1-inch 20.0 5472 36484K/30p22.812.555970
5.
 
Pentax K-S1 APS-C 20.0 5472 36481080/30p23.513.0106178
6.
 
Sony A7 II Full Frame 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.913.6244990
7.
 
Sony A58 APS-C 19.8 5456 36321080/60i23.312.575374
8.
 
Sony A77 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.013.280178
9.
 
Sony A77 II APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.413.4101382
10.
 
Sony A6000 APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/60p24.113.1134782
11.
 
Sony RX100 III 1-inch 20.0 5472 36481080/60p22.412.349567

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The A68 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the A68 can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the A68 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 1440k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.57x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Sony A68 and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
    Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Sony A681440 Y2.7 / 460 tilting n 1/4000s 8.0/s Y Y
2.
 
Canon 750Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon 760Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Panasonic TZ1001166 n3.0 / 1040 fixed Y 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
5.
 
Pentax K-S1optical n3.0 / 921 fixed n 1/6000s 5.4/s Y Y
6.
 
Sony A7 II2400 n3.0 / 1230 tilting n 1/8000s 5.0/s n Y
7.
 
Sony A581440 n2.7 / 460 tilting n 1/4000s 5.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Sony A772359 Y3.0 / 921 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s Y Y
9.
 
Sony A77 II2359 Y3.0 / 1229 full-flex n 1/8000s 12.0/s Y Y
10.
 
Sony A60001440 n3.0 / 922 tilting n 1/4000s 11.0/s Y n
11.
 
Sony RX100 III1440 n3.0 / 1229 tilting n 1/2000s 10.0/s Y Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Sony Alpha SLT-A68 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD can be tilted vertically to facilitate odd-angle shots in landscape orientation. This tilting design is often preferred, for example, by street photographers to a fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment, as it is more unobtrusive during shooting than a screen that flips out to the side.

articulated screen
Flexible screen on the A68

One convenient feature of the A68 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Sony Alpha SLT-A68 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
    Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Sony A68Ystereo / monoY-micro2.0---
2.
 
Canon 750DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
3.
 
Canon 760DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
4.
 
Panasonic TZ100-stereo / mono--micro2.0Y--
5.
 
Pentax K-S1Ystereo / mono--micro2.0---
6.
 
Sony A7 IIYstereo / monoYYmicro2.0YY-
7.
 
Sony A58Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
8.
 
Sony A77Ystereo / monoY-mini2.0---
9.
 
Sony A77 IIYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
10.
 
Sony A6000Ystereo / mono--micro2.0YY-
11.
 
Sony RX100 III-stereo / mono--micro2.0YY-

It is notable that the A68 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the A68 can be found in the free online Sony A68 Manual or on the Sony support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the A68. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
     Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Sony A683/5......4/54/5 Nov 2015 US$ 699ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 750D5/5....75/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 US$ 749ebay.com
3.
 
Canon 760D5/5+..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 US$ 649ebay.com
4.
 
Panasonic TZ1004.5/5+ +..82/1004.5/54.5/5 Jan 2016 US$ 699ebay.com
5.
 
Pentax K-S14/5......4.5/54/5 Aug 2014 US$ 749ebay.com
6.
 
Sony A7 II5/5+4/582/1004.5/55/5 Nov 2014 US$ 1 999ebay.com
7.
 
Sony A583/5......4.5/54.5/5 Feb 2013 US$ 599ebay.com
8.
 
Sony A775/591/100..81/100..5/5 Aug 2011 US$ 1 399ebay.com
9.
 
Sony A77 II4/5....80/1004.5/55/5 May 2014 US$ 1 199ebay.com
10.
 
Sony A60005/5+4.5/580/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2014 US$ 599ebay.com
11.
 
Sony RX100 III5/5+ +..82/1004.5/55/5 May 2014 US$ 799ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Sony A68 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the A68.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Sony A68 based on?

The camera is build around a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Sony A68 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Sony equipped the A68 with the BIONZ X image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Sony A68?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Sony Alpha SLT-A68?

Sony mentions a shutter rating of 100 000 actuations for the A68. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the A68 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Sony A68?

Sony embeds the number of shutter actuations in image metadata. You can check the number of shots that your A68 has taken up to now by uploading a recent image to the free online shutter count finder app.

Is it difficult to use manual focus lenses with the Sony A68?

The A68 offers focus peaking as a manual focus aid. This feature works by placing a colored highlight on in-focus zones within the image.

Does the Sony A68 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Sony A68 for flash photography?

The A68's flash sync speed is 1/160 sec.

Does the Sony A68 support the Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus interface for SD cards?

Yes, the camera can indeed use UHS-I cards (data transfer speed of up to 104 MB/s).

Which battery does the Sony A68 use?

The camera gets its power from the Sony NP-FM500H (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Sony A68?

Sony does not offer an optional battery grip, but third party suppliers do (see here on ebay).

Camera to camera comparisons

If you would like to see a side-by-side review with another camera, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Sony A68
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Sony A mount lenses
    Launch Date November 2015
    Launch Price USD 699
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 23.5 x 15.6 mm
    Sensor Area 367 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 28.2 mm
    Crop Factor 1.5x
    Sensor Resolution 24 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 6 000 x 4 000 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 3.91 μm
    Pixel Density 6.55 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/60i Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 25 600 ISO
    Image Processor BIONZ X
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 79
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 24.1
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 13.5
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 701
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.57x
    Viewfinder Resolution 1440k dots
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 2.7 inch
    LCD Resolution 460k dots
    LCD Attachment Tilting screen
    V-logging Friendliness No front-flip
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing AidFocus Peaking
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 8 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium MS or SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support UHS-I
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port micro HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type Sony NP-FM500H power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)540 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 143 x 104 x 81 mm
    (5.6 x 4.1 x 3.2 in)
    Camera Weight 610 g (21.5 oz)

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