When it comes to cameras, digital SLRs are a breed all their own. Many DSLR owners don’t upgrade their bodies often — if at all — and even fewer would consider a switch to a competing camera system, especially after investing in a handful of high-end lenses. Manufacturers need to push innovation even further to target this segment of the market — when some cameras cost thousands of dollars and already offer excellent performance, simply releasing a body with more megapixels and HD shooting options won’t prompt photographers to pull out their credit cards. With its excellent 24.3 megapixel sensor and high-res OLED electronic viewfinder, however, Sony’s $1,399 Alpha A77 may just be the DSLR upgrade you’ve been waiting for. We spent a few days with a pre-production A77 paired with Sony’s brand new 16-50mm f/2.8 lens ($1,999 in an A77 kit), and were very impressed with what will undoubtedly be a worthy successor to the well-received A700. Jump past the break for our initial impressions, along with plenty of still photo and HD video samples. Gallery: Sony Alpha A77 (hands-on) Continue reading Sony Alpha A77 hands-on preview (video) Sony Alpha A77 hands-on preview (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 01:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink