The A77 is a well-designed camera which spans the mid-range and semi-professional categories. Its headline features - high pixel count and blazingly fast continuous shooting - will attract a lot of interest.

There’s little not to like about Sony’s latest. It’s an SLT that could genuinely strangle the DSLR market dominance as it not only matches but outperforms in a number of departments. This is a camera for the new wave of tech-hungry shooters.

Making a major leap in the camera market, the Sony A77 reaches into pro territory, able to capture 12 frames per second with a 24.3-megapixel camera that feels great and handles like your typical enthusiast digital SLR. Its optional 16-50mm kit lens also delivers excellent quality for the money.

This top-end Sony camera ticks all the right boxes from image quality to blisteringly fast shooting. If only it had a better battery and was a little more snappy in everyday use, we would have no qualms in recommending it wholeheartedly.

Superb level of image quality when shooting in most conditions, great handling, good build quality, industry-leading EVF, quick full-time phase detection AF system and a comprehensive set of exposure modes, we have little trouble with recommending this excellent camera.

At a time when compact system cameras are the centre of attention, it's great to see some real innovation in the DSLR world, and for that innovation to result in a truly exceptional camera like the new Sony A77.