Customer Reviews

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550L 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Sony has been trying really hard to compete with Canon, Nikon, Olympus and other major DSLR players since the release of the alpha 100. The 550 along with 500 are the latest additions to Sony's already very crowded DSLR line-up.

Unlike its other live-view siblings, the 550 is a very fast live-view enabled DSLR. Clocking at 4 frames per second under live-view (with continuous focusing), the frame rate surpasses many of the earlier Sony DSLRs, trailing behind only the alpha 700 and 900. None of these models are live-view enabled. There are a few options for continuous shooting for the 550 here: Hi, Lo, and speed priority. At "Hi" mode, the DSLR blasts away at 4 fps while it tracks the subject's movements. There are few instances of hesitation here, where the camera slows down a little, but the bottom line is, Sony did not lie about the 4 fps capability. Switching to speed priority, however, was a bit of a let down for me. Although the continuous rate immediately went up to an amazing 7 fps (you can literally hear the shuttle slamming away like mad at 7fps), the live view was disabled and the screen went dark. Therefore, you can't track the subject while you're firing at 7fps with the live view mode turned on. Also, the camera can't track a subject moving toward or away from you.

The maximum number of continuous shots according to the manual is as follows: Fine (JPEG) = 32 shots, Standard (JPEG) 116 shots, RAW & JPEG = 7 shots and RAW = 14 shots. One good thing about the camera is that it does not slow down as you're reaching toward the limit of these figures, so far I've tested Fine and Standard mode, and the camera does not disappoint.

The Exmor sensor is impressive, although it won't impress Canon or Nikon DSLR owners (Do refer to the sample images on top, and observe how the noise level of this new sensor increases with the increase in sensitivity). Maintaining details and color all the way up to ISO 1600 is no easy feat, but the 550 does it well with the new APS-C CMOS Exmor sensor. There is unfortunately still enough chroma noise visible at full zoom, probably due to the fact that Sony's noise reduction engine has never been great to begin with (all their earlier alpha models had alot of chroma noise at high ISOs), but the Exmor sensor helped alot in bringing the 550's sensitivity up to 12,800. Granted, chroma noise is really high at that ISO and details are being sacrificed with the noise reduction engine aggressively filtering out those stray signals, but when you really need to shoot at that sensitivity, you'd be glad that the 550 actually gives you the option to do so. Earlier alpha models maxed out at ISO 3200, with heavy noise reduction that had no effect whatsover on chroma noise. Entry level models, especially the a300 series (including the latest a390), suffer horribly from color blotches at ISO 1600 to ISO 3200 (the results are actually worse than the a200 models (including the latest a290)), which renders their full resolution exposures completely useless.

The Auto HDR should only be turned on during really severe back-lit conditions. When applied, it brings the shadows out of the dark and produces a well balanced image without the use of fill-in flash. However, when used under normal conditions, the Auto HDR will over-compensate the shadows and produces a dull and "flat" image. The effect is however adjustable, from +1.0 EV to +3.0EV. The Auto HDR should also not be used for capturing moving objects, as two consecutive frames will be captured and overlapped against each other to produce the final image. A football flying across the football field will turn into two footballs in the final image. Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO, 5 different selectable levels) should be used under normal shooting conditions and when shooting fast moving subjects. However, do note that as the DRO function pushes the shadow areas out of the dark electronically, the noise level in those dark areas will increase along with the DRO setting. DRO Lv4 and Lv5 produce very noticable noise in darker areas, so should be used sparingly.

The new DT 18-55mm lens has less zooming power than the DT 18-70mm model that comes with older alphas, but the resolving power of this new lens is somewhat impressive. The DT 18-70 could barely make it past the 10MP mark, whereas the DT 18-55 seems to be able to capture details beyond what the alpha 550's 14.2MP sensor could see. The focusing mechanism is very quiet and responsive, making it easy for you to get close to pets and creatures that are easily startled by sounds. But if you already have an army of alpha mount lenses waiting for the 550, I would recommend that you skip this camera-lens combo and go straight for the body only package.

Another thing to note about the DT 18-55mm lens is that is has an amazingly minimum focusing distance, at 25cm. This is the shortest distance you can place the camera's sensor from your subject. With the zoom dial set all the way to 55mm, this entry level lens is able to capture very impressive macro photos. The DT 18-70mm (bundled with older entry level alphas) had a minimum focusing distance of about 40cm, so this new lens, unlike its older sibling, makes a great macro lens too, if you are not trying to magnify a button or a bead. The actual distance of the subject from the glass of the lens is alot less than 25cm, as the minimum distance is measured from the surface of the sensor to the subject.

After using the a550 for almost 10 months, I'm having no luck finding any reasons to regret having replaced my a350 with this model. Granted it is not one of the best cameras out there, with limited customization (no control over maximum ISO, minimum ISO when the ISO is set to auto, like a Nikon, and no minimum shuttle speed control) and a few missing external controls (like white balance or steadyshot switch, both can be found on a350) and the LCD screen is little bit crowded with alot of unnecessary information for the sake of point-and-shoot camera users (but can be turned off, thankfully), the design of the updated graphic user interface is simply sublime.

And more importantly, for anyone who has been using an entry level Sony DSLR (200, 230, 290, 300, 330, 350, 380, 390), the quality of the images produced by the a550 at high ISO (800 and above) will astound you. Your low light pictures will now be almost clean, with minimal chroma noise, with smooth, film-like grains added to the exposures progressively as the ISO climbs to the maximum value of 12,800.

I can remember sitting in an outdoor cafe in St. Martin on the French side with my Canon EOS film camera on the table. I was alone, looking out over the bay in Marigot, wishing I was on one of the sailboats going out to sea, when a man asked if he could join me. It's not what you think, all the other tables were full with couples or more. I was the only one dining (actually drinking) alone. So I told the portly Dutch guy, "Sure, no problem."

He sat down, immediately pointed a small digital camera out to sea and snapped a few shots, then he showed them to me on a small LCD screen. Damn, I thought. Digital photography just might catch on.

And it did, but I didn't make the jump from film to digital until the the summer of 2006, six years after I'd met that guy in Marigot. Why, it took me so long, I don't know. The laundry room I'd converted into a dark room, maybe. I was a pseudo, photo taking stuck up snob, who thought film was better, probably. I was an idiot, certainly.

My ex, also a photo taking snob, got the house, the darkroom, my heart in the divorce and I threw in all my gear and moved to a condo by the beach. Huntington Beach, where I could see the ocean from my front door. Lots of surf there. You can see Catalina on a clear day and the pollution makes for gorgeous sunsets. The sunrise on the water is gorgeous, too.

And because there was no room for a darkroom in my small condo, I decided it was time to go digital and I bought a new Sony Alpha 100. And I liked it. Rather than upgrade the body year after year, I concentrated on lenses and I have a lot now. But my Alpha 100 body got long in the tooth, so I upgraded to an Alpha 550 and wowza, this is a camera.

Bigger pictures, 14.2 megapixels, a bright three inch LCD. The resolution is so good you can even read it in bright sunlight. The live view is great, but there is no video which you can find on Canon and Nikons, but I don't do video, so I don't miss it. The camera accepts both SD cards and memory sticks.

This camera has bells, it's got whistles. Built in IS, which helps keep the price of the lenses down, five frames per second shooting with auto focus, seven without. Want face detection? This camera has it. Smile detection too, though I believe that's overkill and I don't use it. I could go on and on about this cameras features, but all the bells and whistles in the world wouldn't be worth a hill of beans if it didn't deliver and this camera really delivers. For me it comes down to noise, because I do a lot of low light shooting. I got noise at 800 ISO & above on my Alpha 100, but not now. Shooting at 6400 ISO and you don't see any noise. You can shoot 12.800 and it's barely noticeable, depending what you're shooting.

And this camera just feels right in your hands. They say this isn't a professional camera because it's not full frame. Well, that's just crazy talk, because if you can't full fill your photographic dreams with this camera, you can't call yourself a pro.

I'm happy with this camera. However, the development of digital cameras is very fast so the camera is likely to be behind cutting edge in a couple of years. I bought this camera because it is not that expensive, so one can always upgrade. Some good and bad things:
- Steady shot makes it possible to take very sharp pictures at 1/15.
- Quite decent performance up to ASA 800. I can go up to ASA 12,800, which results in noise, but also sharp pictures in very low light. If you like me hate using the flash, this is great. I'd rather have grain than flat flash light.
- Very sharp live viewfinder. I cannot do without this facility anymore. Not many higher-end DSLR cameras have this function yet.
- The autofocus does not work that well in low light. I don't know if other cameras are better. However, the Manual Focus Live Viewfinder function is very good when using manual focus in low light and low contrast settings.
- The camera isn't well prepared for HDR (high dynamic range). There is a built in function (works just so so), but I'd rater be able to do bracketed exposures in 1 or 2 EV steps. That is not possible. I can do bracketed exposures in 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps but that isn't really useful for HDR. Clearly Sony is holding back on performance for the next model in 2010.
- The camera fits okay in my standard male sized hands. Bigger might fit better but it is also nice that the camera is not bulky.
- Information panel is informative, except for ASA level when using ASA Auto setting. It would have been very nice to know what ASA level the camera decide to use when in Program mode.

If you buy this camera, skip the 18-55 lens and go for the 18-250 lens instead Sony SAL18250 Alpha DT 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 High Magnification Zoom Lens w/Lens Hood. It just doesn't make sense to buy a USD1,000 camera and fit it with a USD100 lens. The longer zoom is a good allround lens. A bit slow, but with an amazing range, 27-375 35mm equivalent. I actually don't find a 200mm zoom that useful, but when you can go up to 375mm new opportunities open. If you want to spend some more dollars, get the 50mm f/1.4 lens. That lens will function like 75mm, which is not optimal, but that is really the only chance of getting a wide open aperture lens. (Sony also sells a 35mm f/1.4, but that is very expensive and has received poor reviews.) The advantage with the 50mm f/1.4 lens is that it is full-frame so it can be used when you later upgrade to a fullformat camera.

Since the other reviews have quite a bit of practical information in them, I thought I'd post one that was more of a gut reaction from a new user. What it lacks in detail, it more than makes up for in brevity.
I own an A700, and love it, but wanted a good back-up camera/second body. Naturally, I kept going back to Sony, since I have quite a bit invested in glass and gear.
Unfortunately, none of the previous models felt quite right in my hand. The grips all seemed too slight and uncertain. I have big hands and long fingers (perfect for a pianist or strangler, not so hot for a DSLR shooter,) so finding a camera with a "good feel" is a bit tricky. The A550 fits the bill (and my hand,) quite nicely. For me, it's a great second camera. I also found it be fairly responsive and easy to use, as well as alot of fun. I may never take full advantage of all
the "bells and whistles," but they're alot of fun to play with, and may come in handy from time to time as well (a bit like an amp that goes to 11.)

As a first, the Sony Alpha a550 is a great starter camera. Its not bulky, and is also light. Which makes the camera so easy to carry around. 7 frames per second provide an extremely fast camera. Mostly, what I love about the Sony a550 is the ease of use, by providing hints and notes on every option to be used.

I own a Konica Minolta 5D and just bought this Alpha 550 as Sony bought Konica Minolta DSLR line.
My current lenses are all compatible. (a mount)
The features on the Alpha are awesome even if your just a beginner you will quickly come up to speed.
The anti-shake is built in to the body so lenses are far less expensive.
There is HELP for every setting right on the view screen.
The newer models are just coming out so the prices are the lowest they have ever been.
I am quite pleased with this camera.

I've had Sony digital cameras since 2000.

THIS ONE is absolutely superb!

I'm almost looking forward to seeing what they come out with NEXT!!!! But right now I'm having too much fun with this baby.

UPDATE: I got the camera back from warranty repair. Yes they did repair the steadyshot function, but after the repair the viewfinder display is not working. I am afraid the Sony service center damaged the camera. I tried to contact SONY about it but got put on hold indefinitely, and my emails have never been answered.

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I chose to buy this camera rather than a canon or nikon because I have several lenses from my old minolta 35mm dynax (maxxum).

What I like about it is the handling - it does feel good in the hand, some of the available features (especially auto HDR), the high sensitivity of the CMOS detector (ISO up to 16,000).

What I do not like is the feel of the standard 18-55 lens.

I am not thrilled with the menus - they are not very intuitive to me.

What I actually hate is the quality of the camera and Sony's warranty service.

The image stabilization stopped working after several months of light use (maybe 500-1000 shots per month). As a result not only was there no stabilization, the sensor was permanently in an extreme position, resulting in images getting significantly shifted from what I saw in the viewfinder (or on the lcd screen when using secondary sensor). When using an ultrawide lens this also caused vignetting on one side of the image.

I sent the camera back to SONY for warranty repair - they promised that it will be ready in 10 days, but in reality I had to wait over a month before I got it back. And this was after a few phone calls in which the repair center promised to expedite the work... Do not know how long it would take without the calls.

I purchased this camera in 8 months later it just quit working. I sent it in and was told the camera had corroded and was not covered in warranty. I used this camera in normal use and always in ideal conditions. I had this camera always stored and used with a 15 year old Canon SLR which is still working fine today. Sony refused to repair stating I did something to cause the corrosion. They wanted me to pay $450.00 to repair the camera. Don't buy Sony they do not honor the warranty. I would understand if i dropped it or left it out in the rain. But under normal use that is just ridiculous. I can't believe a multibillion dollar corp such as Sony would be so lame as to not honor their warranty. Beware and avoid Sony!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the SOny 550a for a gift, so about all I can say is the reviews are very good and I hope my loved one likes it as much as the reviewers.