Entry-level DSLR Entry-level DSLR
August, 2009
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Sony AlphaDSLR-A550

Summary Sony DSLR-A550

Prices Price
Body only $1,012 Kit Unknown
all DSLR-A550 prices
Score Snapsort rank
Within its price range #n/a of 16 Among similar cameras #n/a of 18
details details
Specifications Key specs
Sensor size Help APS-C 23.4x15.6mm Screen resolution Help 922k dots
Megapixels Help 14 MP Movie format Help None
Screen size Help 3.0" Light sensitivity Help 12,800 ISO
see all specifications
Lenses Lenses
Browse all Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 lenses at LensHero
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Pros

The Sony DSLR-A550 vs other recent entry-level DSLRs

Screen size Above average sized screen Help
3.0"
Image stabilization Image stabilization Help
Sensor shift
Continuous shooting Rapid fire Help
7 fps
Screen flips out Flip-out screen Help
Great for movies
Screen resolution High resolution screen Help
922k dots
Light sensitivity Good maximum light sensitivity Help
12,800 ISO
Storage slots More storage slots Help
2

Cons

The Sony DSLR-A550 vs other recent entry-level DSLRs

Viewfinder size Small viewfinder Help
0.52x
Autofocus Manual focus only Help
None
Viewfinder coverage Below average viewfinder coverage Help
95%
Size Slightly large Help
Professional size 137x104x84 mm
Light sensitivity (boost) Lacks boost light sensitivity Help
None
Thickness Thick Help
3.3"
Movie format No movies Help
None
Color depth Less color depth Help
21.9 bits
Announced Old Help
August, 2009
Fastest shutter speed Slow shutter speed Help
1/4000 of a second
Popularity Not so popular Help
Among snapsort users

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DXOMark

Appearance

front photo of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550back photo of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550angle photo of the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Discussion What do you think about the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550?

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Showing 3 comments

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