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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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$ 699 | ebay.com | |
2. | Canon 750D | 132 mm | 101 mm | 78 mm | 555 g | 440 | n | Feb 2015 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 760D | 132 mm | 101 mm | 78 mm | 565 g | 440 | n | Feb 2015 | US$ 649 | ebay.com | |
4. | Panasonic TZ100 | 111 mm | 65 mm | 44 mm | 312 g | 300 | n | Jan 2016 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
5. | Pentax K-S1 | 121 mm | 93 mm | 70 mm | 558 g | 410 | n | Aug 2014 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
6. | Sony A7 II | 127 mm | 96 mm | 60 mm | 599 g | 350 | Y | Nov 2014 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
7. | Sony A58 | 129 mm | 95 mm | 78 mm | 492 g | 690 | n | Feb 2013 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
8. | Sony A77 | 143 mm | 104 mm | 81 mm | 732 g | 470 | Y | Aug 2011 | US$ 1 399 | ebay.com | |
9. | Sony A77 II | 143 mm | 104 mm | 81 mm | 647 g | 480 | Y | May 2014 | US$ 1 199 | ebay.com | |
10. | Sony A6000 | 120 mm | 67 mm | 45 mm | 344 g | 360 | n | Feb 2014 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
11. | Sony RX100 III | 102 mm | 58 mm | 41 mm | 290 g | 320 | n | May 2014 | US$ 799 | ebay.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.
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.
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.
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 | 4000 | 1080/60i | 24.1 | 13.5 | 701 | 79 | |
2. | Canon 750D | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/30p | 22.7 | 12.0 | 919 | 71 | |
3. | Canon 760D | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/30p | 22.6 | 12.0 | 915 | 70 | |
4. | Panasonic TZ100 | 1-inch | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 4K/30p | 22.8 | 12.5 | 559 | 70 | |
5. | Pentax K-S1 | APS-C | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/30p | 23.5 | 13.0 | 1061 | 78 | |
6. | Sony A7 II | Full Frame | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.9 | 13.6 | 2449 | 90 | |
7. | Sony A58 | APS-C | 19.8 | 5456 | 3632 | 1080/60i | 23.3 | 12.5 | 753 | 74 | |
8. | Sony A77 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.0 | 13.2 | 801 | 78 | |
9. | Sony A77 II | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.4 | 13.4 | 1013 | 82 | |
10. | Sony A6000 | APS-C | 24.0 | 6000 | 4000 | 1080/60p | 24.1 | 13.1 | 1347 | 82 | |
11. | Sony RX100 III | 1-inch | 20.0 | 5472 | 3648 | 1080/60p | 22.4 | 12.3 | 495 | 67 |
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.
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 A68 | 1440 | Y | 2.7 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 8.0/s | Y | Y | |
2. | Canon 750D | optical | n | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
3. | Canon 760D | optical | Y | 3.0 / 1040 | swivel | Y | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | n | |
4. | Panasonic TZ100 | 1166 | n | 3.0 / 1040 | fixed | Y | 1/2000s | 10.0/s | Y | Y | |
5. | Pentax K-S1 | optical | n | 3.0 / 921 | fixed | n | 1/6000s | 5.4/s | Y | Y | |
6. | Sony A7 II | 2400 | n | 3.0 / 1230 | tilting | n | 1/8000s | 5.0/s | n | Y | |
7. | Sony A58 | 1440 | n | 2.7 / 460 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 5.0/s | Y | Y | |
8. | Sony A77 | 2359 | Y | 3.0 / 921 | full-flex | n | 1/8000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
9. | Sony A77 II | 2359 | Y | 3.0 / 1229 | full-flex | n | 1/8000s | 12.0/s | Y | Y | |
10. | Sony A6000 | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 922 | tilting | n | 1/4000s | 11.0/s | Y | n | |
11. | Sony RX100 III | 1440 | n | 3.0 / 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.
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.
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.
Camera Model |
Hotshoe Port |
Internal Mic / Speaker |
Microphone Port |
Headphone Port |
HDMI Port |
USB Port |
WiFi Support |
NFC Support |
Bluetooth Support |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A68 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
2. | Canon 750D | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
3. | Canon 760D | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
4. | Panasonic TZ100 | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | - | - | |
5. | Pentax K-S1 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
6. | Sony A7 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | Y | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
7. | Sony A58 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
8. | Sony A77 | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | - | - | - | |
9. | Sony A77 II | Y | stereo / mono | Y | - | mini | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
10. | Sony A6000 | Y | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - | |
11. | Sony RX100 III | - | stereo / mono | - | - | micro | 2.0 | Y | Y | - |
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.
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]).
Camera Model |
AP score |
CL score |
DCW score |
DPR score |
EPZ score |
PB score |
Camera Launch |
Launch Price |
Street Price |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sony A68 | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4/5 | 4/5 | Nov 2015 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
2. | Canon 750D | 5/5 | .. | .. | 75/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2015 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
3. | Canon 760D | 5/5 | + | .. | 77/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2015 | US$ 649 | ebay.com | |
4. | Panasonic TZ100 | 4.5/5 | + + | .. | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Jan 2016 | US$ 699 | ebay.com | |
5. | Pentax K-S1 | 4/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4/5 | Aug 2014 | US$ 749 | ebay.com | |
6. | Sony A7 II | 5/5 | + | 4/5 | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Nov 2014 | US$ 1 999 | ebay.com | |
7. | Sony A58 | 3/5 | .. | .. | .. | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 | Feb 2013 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
8. | Sony A77 | 5/5 | 91/100 | .. | 81/100 | .. | 5/5 | Aug 2011 | US$ 1 399 | ebay.com | |
9. | Sony A77 II | 4/5 | .. | .. | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | May 2014 | US$ 1 199 | ebay.com | |
10. | Sony A6000 | 5/5 | + | 4.5/5 | 80/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | Feb 2014 | US$ 599 | ebay.com | |
11. | Sony RX100 III | 5/5 | + + | .. | 82/100 | 4.5/5 | 5/5 | May 2014 | US$ 799 | ebay.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.
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.
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 Aid | Focus Peaking | |
Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/4000s | |
Continuous Shooting | 8 shutter flaps/s | |
Shutter Life Expectancy | 100 000 actuations | |
Silent Shooting | no E-Shutter | |
Time Lapse Photography | no Intervalometer | |
Image Stabilization | In-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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