Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

APS-C, 14 MP, 3"
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        Summary Sony DSLR-A550

        Prices Price
        Body only
        $314
        Kit
        Unknown
        all DSLR-A550 prices
        Score Snapsort rank
        Within its price range
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        Specifications Key specs
        Sensor size
        Help APS-C 23.4x15.6mm
        Screen resolution
        Help 921k dots
        Megapixels
        Help 14 MP
        Movie format
        Help None
        Screen size
        Help 3"
        Light sensitivity
        Help 12,800 ISO
        see all specifications
        Lenses Lenses
        Browse Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 lenses at LensHero
        Sony Alpha DSLR-A550Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

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        Explore our gallery of 7 sample photos taken by the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550.

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        Discussion

        Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
        Alpha DSLR-A550
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        Showing 4 comments

        Avatar for Juanfra Valero Cara Juanfra Valero Cara (9:43 PM, May 13, 2013)
        It has phase detect AF, not contrast AF. Please fix.
         
        Johnmcmillin (4:44 AM, April 27, 2011)
        I got a similar a500 recently as a cheap panorama maker. As a happy user of Sony's higher-level cameras, I wanted their Dynamic Range Optimizer feature, and this was the cheapest model that had the full feature. Also, I demanded a consistent Kelvin WB setting, which I don't find in Nikon's consumer-proced models. The a5xx series has those helpful features, but they left off one other thing I counted on-- a focus button. On the A500, and perhaps its relatives, there's no way to switch AF on or off except for the switch at the lens mount, which is clumsy to access with the camera mounted vertically on a rotator. Aimed at a blank wall, the AF locks up the camera. So I turn off AF completely for my pans, using it as a MF camera. How's that for 21st-Century progress?

        That's just one of the un-ergonomic, misguided choices made in the design of this camera. You almost wonder if it was crippled to make the parallel A33/55 series of EVF SLRs look more desirable, sending Sony's clientele in the company's favored direction? But the camera still has a little appeal. My a500 has a very nice senor, with improved high ISO and longer DR than my A700. The A580 is supposed to be even better. On any day, I rather give back that fraction of image quality for the build quality, complete controls and better VF of the a700, though.
         
        Avatar for Mark Feeney Mark Feeney (2:48 AM, November 12, 2010)
        Hi, stevenom. Cool link, but the camera it references is the newer Sony SLT-A55. Those model numbers are pretty close!
         
        Avatar for Steven Steven (1:54 AM, November 12, 2010)
        This is one of the two cameras included in Time's The 50 Best Inventions of 2010:

        http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2029497_2030652_2029799,00.html