Updated (March, 2012): Compare the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 vs Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT-A55

62

Winner

Sony SLT-A55

"The A55 feels like a cross between a good midrange DSLR and a high-end 'bridge' model, but its focus system and large, high-resolution viewfinder surpass our expectations of both types of camera."
dpreview.com | talking about the SLT-A55's feel
"The Sony Alpha SLT A55 is completely new designs which offer several key advantages over 'traditional' DSLR technology."
dpreview.com | talking about the SLT-A55's overall-performance

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT-A55

Image stabilization
Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Continuous shooting
Rapid fire
10 fps
HDR
In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Panorama
In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
3D
Takes 3D photos
View photos in 3D on 3D televisions
Movie continuous focus
Movie continuous focus
Makes it easy to get in-focus movies
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

53

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Image stabilization
Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Viewfinder
Great viewfinder
Pentamirror
HDR
In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Storage slots
More storage slots
2

differences

Advantages of the Sony DSLR-A550

Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentamirror vs Digital
Help
Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Thickness Slightly thinner 3.3" vs 3.3"
Help
Almost the same
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Learn more about
the Sony DSLR-A550

Advantages of the Sony SLT-A55

Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 30fps vs None
Help
Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
Catch candid moments easily
Color depth Better color depth 23 bits vs 21.9 bits
Help
Distinguishes 1.1 more bits of color
Overall image quality Better image quality 73.0 vs 66.0
Help
More than 10% better image quality
Autofocus Video autofocus Phase detection vs None
Help
Automatically focuses shooting video
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.4 EV vs 11.8 EV
Help
0.6 f-stops more dynamic range
GPS Has a GPS Yes vs No
Help
Automatically geotags your photos when traveling
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 10 fps vs 7 fps
Help
More than 40% faster continuous shooting
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs None
Help
Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
Size Significantly smaller 124x92x85 mm vs 137x104x84 mm
Help
Around 20% smaller
True resolution Higher true resolution 16 MP vs 14 MP
Help
Capture more than 10% more detail in your photos
Weight Significantly lighter 500 g vs 632 g
Help
More than 20% lighter
Sony SLT-A55 Learn more about
the Sony SLT-A55
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent entry-level DSLRs, and ignoring price

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
53 vs 62
Explain scores
Sony SLT-A55 Sony SLT-A55
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony SLT-A55.

advice

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0
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by Krishna-Chaitanya last month
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by goaty99 this month
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One person recommends the Sony SLT-A55:

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0
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by timr1231 last week
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I am an advanced camera user and i am looking for an upgrade from my Canon xti.  I take lots of ...

0
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by Kalyan-Chatrathi last week
Canon T3i vs Sony SLT-A55

My current camera is a point and shoot and is not really great for pics. It is all smothered and...

0
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by Pratyush-Havelia last month
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I am kind of a beginner. I am looking for good quality photos that take into account both the su...

One person recommends the Sony SLT-A55:

" If u r traveling u gonna love the gps on the camera, else it has much faster frames per second t..."

One person recommends the Canon 600D:

" Canon is sturdy and versatile, which will make it a great camera for traveling in any weather co..."

similarities

Compared to recent entry-level DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Sensor shift
Screen resolution High resolution screens Help
921k dots
Screen flips out Flip-out screens Help
Great for movies
HDR In-camera HDR Help
Combines multiple exposures
Continuous shooting Fast continuous shooting Help
DSLR-A550:7 fps
SLT-A55:10 fps
Light sensitivity Very good maximum light sensitivity Help
12,800 ISO
Fastest shutter speed Slow max shutter speed Help
1/4000 of a second
Thickness Quite thick Help
3.3"
Weather sealed Neither is weather sealed Help
Need to shelter it from weather

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $597 body only

$600 - $697 with 18-55mm lens

Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Weight Is slightly heavier
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$619 - $700 body only

$745 - $1,000 with 18-55mm lens

True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Weight Is slightly heavier
Size Is slightly larger
Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT A57

Entry-level DSLR

$698 - $700 body only

$798 - $800 with 18-55mm lens

Viewfinder size Much larger viewfinder
Light sensitivity Slightly higher maximum light sensitivity
Weight Is slightly heavier
Size Is slightly larger
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$898 body only

$998 with 18-55mm lens

Viewfinder size Much larger viewfinder
True resolution Takes much higher resolution photos
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Weight Is slightly heavier
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580

Sony Alpha DSLR-A580

Entry-level DSLR

$949 with 55-200mm lens

Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Weight Is slightly heavier
Sony SLT A35

Sony SLT A35

Entry-level DSLR

$598 body only

$629 with 18-70mm lens

Weight Is slightly lighter
Screen flips out Doesn't have a screen which flips out
Continuous shooting Doesn't shoot as fast continuously
Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon Rebel T2i

Entry-level DSLR

$544 - $949 body only

$649 - $867 with 18-55mm lens

True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Sensor size Has a slightly smaller sensor
HDR Lacks a built in HDR feature

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550.

Sony SLT-A55 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Sony SLT-A55.

appearance

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony SLT-A55
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony SLT-A55
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony SLT-A55

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