Sony has recently revealed its new Alpha A99, the company's first full-frame translucent mirror camera which will replace its flagship A900 DSLR that was launched in 2008.

According to the information shared by Sony, the new flagship 35mm full-frame Alpha A99 camera, with an interchangeable lens, boasts a 24.3-million-pixel Exmor imaging sensor, and a three-way, 3-inch tiltable 1.2m-dot LCD screen.

With a weight of 733g - the world's lightest body for any similar camera -, the Alpha A99 will be 117g lighter than the A900; and will also be two-fold brighter, thanks to the inclusion of WhiteMagic technology.

Among the other key features of the Alpha A99 is a new Dual AF system which houses two phase-detection sensors --- a conventional 19-point sensor with 11 cross sensors; and a 102-point `focal plane phase detection AF sensor' which superimposes the camera's main image sensor.

About the Dual AF system, Hideto Jimbo - a senior manager at Sony's Digital Imaging Business Group - said that the two phase-detection sensors will not only give the camera the capability to achieve `much wider AF coverage,' but also help it deliver a focusing accuracy which will be comparable to a traditional sensor.

The new Alpha A99 - which will have a much-improved shape of switches and buttons to enable users to shoot without looking at the controls - will hit the markets in November. The camera will likely cost £2,500 body only; with a separately-available vertical grip to cost around £320.