Sony SLT Alpha 37

The Sony SLT Alpha 37 is a DSLR from 2012 with a 16 megapixel APS-C sensor and the Sony Alpha lens mount. The body measures 124 x 92 x 85 mm and weighs 506 g. That combination suits anyone moving up to interchangeable lenses and eye-level shooting.

The electronic viewfinder shows the live image before you shoot, and stabilisation in the body keeps handheld frames steadier with any lens attached. A built-in flash adds light indoors.

Full HD video is on hand for occasional clips, so one kit covers stills and movies.

The APS-C CMOS sensor works with the Bionz processor, and the Sony Alpha mount accepts the system's lenses. Because stabilisation sits in the body rather than the lens, every lens you fit gains shake reduction for handheld shooting. It counters camera shake, not subject movement.

Bursts run at up to 5.5 frames per second and the shutter tops out at 1/4000 second. That pace suits portraits, landscapes and gentle action better than fast sports.

Autofocus offers 15 points. ISO settings run from 100 to 16000, which lets shutter speeds be maintained when light falls.

Through the 1.44-million-dot electronic viewfinder you see the live view before releasing the shutter, so framing can be checked before capture. The Optics score of 57 is modest, around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics: suited to casual stills, but short of the speed and resolution demanding work calls for.

Movies record at up to Full HD resolution, saved in either AVCHD Ver. 2.0 or MP4 format. The maximum frame rate is 28 frames per second, a ceiling that limits how smoothly fast movement renders.

Because stabilisation is built into the body, handheld clips pick up less camera shake with any lens attached, though it will not smooth movement within the scene itself.

There is no built-in timelapse function, so interval sequences need another approach, such as assembling separate stills after the shoot.

The Video score of 43 is modest: Full HD recording, a 28 fps maximum and no built-in timelapse keep it suited to family clips and casual projects rather than fast action.

Framing and playback use a 2.6-inch LCD with 230,400 dots, a modest resolution that suits menus and composition rather than fine detail checks. The small screen, low dot count, absent touchscreen and no Bluetooth leave the Features score of 34 at a limited rating.

The screen flips out from the body, which helps with waist-level and overhead shots, and live view makes those angles practical to check.

A built-in flash covers quick fill light, and an external flash unit can be added when you need more power.

There is no weather sealing, so keep the camera away from rain and dust. Images cannot be sent wirelessly to a computer or phone, and the camera itself does not tag locations.

One card slot takes SD, SDHC and SDXC or Memory Stick Pro Duo cards, so most spares will fit, but there is no second card for backup or overflow.

The NP-FW50 battery carries a 500-shot rating. Actual endurance varies with how you shoot, so a spare battery is a sensible companion for longer outings.

Charging over USB is not supported, so the battery cannot be topped up from a computer or other USB source.

The Storage & Battery score of 27 is limited, matching the single card slot, the battery rating and the absence of USB charging. A spare battery stretches a long shoot, but a spare card adds capacity, not backup.