Sony A550 Review: Digital Photography Review

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Specifications

Price (body only) (With 18-55mm lens)	• $950 [check] • $1050
Body material	Plastic exterior
Sensor *	• 23.4 x 15.6 mm APS-C Type CMOS Exmor Sensor • RGB Color Filter Array • Built-in fixed low-pass filter • 14.6 million total pixels • 14.2 million effective pixels
Image sizes *	3:2 • 4592 x 3056 (L) • 3344 x 2224 (M) • 2288 x 1520 (S) 16:9 • 4592 x 2576 (L) • 3344 x 1872 (M) • 2288 x 1280 (S)
File qualities / formats	• RAW (.ARW) • RAW + JPEG Fine • RAW + JPEG Standard • JPEG Fine • JPEG Standard
Dust reduction	• Charge protection coating on low-pass filter • Sensor-shift dust reduction mechanism
Lenses	• Sony Alpha lenses (also compatible with Minolta and Konica Minolta AF lenses)
FOV crop	1.5x
SteadyShot INSIDE	• CCD-Shift 'SteadyShot INSIDE' system • Claimed equivalent to 2.5 – 3.5 steps in shutter speed
Auto Focus	• TTL CCD line sensors (9-points,with center cross sensor) • EV 0 to 18 (ISO 100) detection range • Predictive focus, Focus Lock
AF area selection	• Wide AF area • Spot AF area (center) • Focus area selection (any of 9)
Focus modes	• Single-shot AF • Continuous AF • Automatic AF • Manual focus
AF assist illuminator	• Yes (using built in flash) • Range approx 1 m - 5 m
Eye-start AF	Yes, selectable from menu
Shooting modes	• Programmed AE (Auto, Flash off, P) • Aperture priority AE • Shutter priority AE • Manual • Scene Selection
Scene modes	• Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Sports • Sunset • Night view/portrait
Sensitivity	• Auto (ISO 200-1600) • Manual ISO 200- ISO 12800 in 1 EV steps
Metering modes	• Multi-segment (40 segment Honeycomb pattern) • Center-weighted • Spot
Metering range	• TTL metering • 40-segment honeycomb-pattern SPC • EV 2 to 20 (Multi-segment / Center-weighted) * • EV 4 to 20 (Spot metering) * (at ISO 100 with F1.4 lens)
AE Lock	• AEL button (customizable, hold or single-press) • Half-press shutter release
AE Bracketing	• Single or continuous bracketing • 3 frames • 0.3 or 0.7 EV steps
Exposure compen.	• -2.0 to +2.0 EV • 0.3 EV steps
Shutter	Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane Shutter
Shutter Speed	• 30 to 1/4000 sec • Bulb
Flash X-sync	• 1/160 sec
Aperture values	Depends on lens, 0.3 EV steps
DOF preview	No
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Incandescent • Fluorescent • Flash • Color temperature/filter (2500 - 9900 K) • Manual (Custom)
White balance fine tuning	• Auto (none) • Preset WB: -3 to +3 • Fluorescent WB: -1 to +2 • Color temperature WB: G9 to M9 (Magenta to Green)
White balance bracketing	• 3 exposures • Hi / Lo level selectable
Dynamic range optimizer	• Off • D-Range Optimizer (Auto, manually select level 1 - 5) • Auto HDR (Auto, Adjustable between 1.0 - 3.0 EV in 0.5 EV steps)
Color space	• sRGB • Adobe RGB
Color modes	• Standard • Vivid • Portrait • Landscape • Sunset • B&W
Image parameters	• Contrast (-3 to +3) • Sharpness (-3 to +3) • Saturation (-3 to +3)
Noise reduction	• Long exposure for exposures longer than 1 second • High ISO NR at ISO 1600 or higher • User controllable: On / Off
Viewfinder *	• Eye-level fixed optical glass pentamirror • Spherical Acute Matte focusing screen • Magnification approx. 0.80x * • 95% frame coverage • Dioptric adjustment (-3.0 to +1.0) • Eye-relief 19 mm from eyepiece, 15 mm from frame* • Eyepiece cup removable • Viewfinder info bar
Live view (Quick AF Live View) *	• Dedicated live view sensor (pentamirror tilt system) • 1200 zone evaluative metering • Sensitivity 1 - 17 EV* • 90% frame coverage • Exposure and white balance simulation • Face Detection and Smile Shutter* • Smart Teleconverter (x1.4 / x2.0 selectable)* • Display: Histogram, real-time image adjustment display (White balance, Sunset/ B&W of Creative Style, Exposure Compensation)
Live view (MF Check Live View) *	• Live View with CMOS Exmor sensor • Metering varies according to shooting mode • 100% frame coverage • Display: Real-time image adjustment display (White balance, Sunset/ B&W of Creative Style, Exposure Compensation) • Zoom (x7.0/x14.0), Grid line display
LCD monitor *	• 3.0 TFT Xtra Fine LCD • 921,600 dots • Auto Brightness Control (auto setting in 2 steps) • Manual setting in 5 steps
Flash *	• Built-in pop-up flash (manual release) • Metering: ADI, Pre-flash TTL, Manual flash control • Guide number 12 (ISO 100/m) • Angle of coverage 18 mm (35 mm equiv.)* • Flash sync 1/160 sec
Flash modes	• Off • Auto • Fill Flash • Rear Sync • Slow sync • Wireless/High Speed Sync.
Flash Bracketing	3 exposures in 0.3 and 0.7 EV steps
Flash compensation	-2.0 to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
External flash (optional)	• Sony HVL-F58AM • Sony HVL-F56AM • Sony HVL-F42AM • Sony HVL-F36AM
Drive modes	• Single-frame • Continuous • Speed-Priority (shoots with focus and exposure locked)* • Self-timer (10 or 2 sec)
Continuous shooting	• Approx 5 fps max (4 fps in Live view) • Speed- Priority: 7 fps max • RAW: Up to 14 frames • RAW+JPEG: Up to 7 frames • JPEG (Fine): 32 frames • JPEG (Standard): 116 frames
Self-timer	• 10 sec • 2 sec
Orientation sensor	Yes, for shooting, playback and control panel display
Connectivity	• USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mass storage, Multi-LUN or PTP) • DC-IN • Remote terminal
Remote control	• Wired: with optional RM-S1AM or RM-L1AM
Video out	• AV (Selectable NTSC or PAL) • HDMI • 'PhotoTV' HD settings applied with BRAVIA.
Storage	• SD/ SDHC • Memory Stick Pro Duo / Pro HG Duo • Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32
Power	• NP-FM500H Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (1650 mAh) • Battery charger included • Optional AC adapter • Batter life Approx 950 shots with viewfinder, 480 in Live view mode (CIPA standard)
Vertical grip	• Yes (VG-B50AM)
Dimensions	137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.5 x 4.2 x 3.9 in)
Weight (body)	No battery: 599 g (1.5lb)

* changed in comparison to the Sony DSLR A350