Specifically for the discussion of the A-mount DSLR range
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Thanks very much for the review David - a very interesting and useful read. It is worth the subscription cost just to ensure we get reviews like this . Especially thought provoking as I am considering a body upgrade from an A100.
While at the newsagent yesterday I skimmed through the current Amateur Photography (weekly mag) to have a quick look at their A550/500 review. Their (I forget the reveiwer's name) high and lows very pretty similar with even a mention for MLU, and concern over low ISO. Still got a 4 out of 5 stars rating, but then most things do .
Nex 5, Nex 6 (IR), A7M2, A99 and a bunch of lenses.
It's a real shame for me about the omission of MLU. With MLU included, and MF check LV, this camera could have been close to perfect for my work with microscopes where getting critically accurate focus is one of the hardest aspects.
Do you think the a380 CCD sensor with a better Bionz and firmawe (like a550) could offer something else and better?
This CCD could be the best way to macro, portrait, landscape, etc, but in a better body.
I hope the a380 doesn´t be the last one with this sensor.
It's very hard to say. I think the 380/350 CCD sensor definitely has something about it which the 550 lacks - maybe it's all down to the colour filters used. I think the slightly 'rough' appearance of the 550 files (like the Canon 7D) even when at low ISO may be down to extracting the information ultra-fast from the sensor, remember that 7fps at 14 megapixels is exactly the same data flow as 8fps at 12.2 megapixels. I think that pulling image data FAST off a sensor can be a factor.
So I am keeping my Alpha 350. It would not be needed at all if the A550 had ISO 100 and that little bit of extra 'something' in the image rendering.
The reviews of the past months all seem to serve only in my looking in the direction of the one and only good choice, our good old friend A700 so far... or buckle up for the A900.
David Kilpatrick wrote:... if the A550 had ISO 100 ...
The funny thing is that you almost always can expose a5x0 one full stop more without raw clipping in highlights. So you sorta may get that ISO100 effectively.
But frankly, it only means that the raw levels are not used up properly in those cams. They should've used twice more analog gain to get better processing.
It also should be the main reason for inconsistencies in blue sky noise - underexposure and digital processing is spreading too few raw bits over too wide output bit range.
P.S. And you are quite right - fast readout doesn't help in getting clean results. It also means that a500 is really better for a good reason.
DK, I don't suppose you're interested in reviewing an a500, are you? I suppose it is the more redundant camera for an a700 user, giving no additional speed or output, just an extra high ISO setting and some P&S gizmos to trade for all the a700's fantastic build and control. I do wonder about the image quality, though.
KevinBarrett wrote:DK, I don't suppose you're interested in reviewing an a500, are you? I suppose it is the more redundant camera for an a700 user, giving no additional speed or output, just an extra high ISO setting and some P&S gizmos to trade for all the a700's fantastic build and control. I do wonder about the image quality, though.
One is supposed to me coming to me. It never came.
I finally had a chance to read the A550 review, well done David, under the circumstances of Shirley's emergency, on top of the poor weather.
It seems the A550 has been misjudged slightly, that HDR mode is a winner in any language and will be a real asset in the next 7 series camera.
But though it has great LV and tilting screen features for aiding Macro shooting, that has been nullified by the mirror return action, that should hopefully be fixed with proper MLU in the next 7.
Maybe LED's are the future for lighting (no heat, white light, low power usage...but you need lots of them, and therefore expensive), but I remain to be convinced with night Macro shooting.
When you use a light for Macro you don't have the pulse of a flash to freeze movement so you have to go chasing shutter speeds at the expense of f-stops... Macro is all about f-stops not shutter speeds, the only way to regain some lost ground is to bump the ISO way up, and that's not really ideal. What I would like is, for someone who owns one these Sony ring lights to put a light meter under it one foot distance and give us a reading, then we will know just how useful (or not) it might be.
There is the additional problem of approaching nocturnal critters with a bright light, (if it turnes out to be even half powerful enough), the critter will most likely depart long before you get a chance of a shot.
Time for you to get a loan of one of these Sony ringlights David, do a proper appraisal and put these questions to rest one way or another for good.
Greg
Last edited by Greg Beetham on Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Interesting post from Greg..
Not sure the A550 is misjudged..care to expand on that?
Maybe expectations were higher, hard to say.
Neat as the HDR jpeg mode looks, is it really enough to compensate for some rather obvious omissions (add you choice of cut out feature here! lol)???
Well there is probably not a lot to expand on Barry, the aforementioned HDR is one new feature that looks like it could under the right circumstances easily replace DRO (not that I use it anyway), like on some scenic shots that have a large range in EV between highlights and shadows, then that HDR will be a winner for sure. The advance in focus speed and accuracy also looks to be a great boon, (hence DMF no longer necessary?), (although David says the A100 has poor accuracy I never had any great reason to complain about mine, there's just the odd times when it does a bit of hunting under difficult circumstances, so maybe all A100's were not borne equal??), in any case I have a bad habit of focusing the camera and then checking the focus in the VF, if it's a close type shot withoiut a tripod it would probably be better if I just pushed the button all the way down right from the start.
David hasn't had a chance to do an investigation of how the AEL button is working on the A550, daylight fill flash etc. so I await news on that front, (not that the camera has any chance of me buying one that is), it's just interesting to see what direction Sony is heading in and what success that direction might achieve....
Greg
. Especially thought provoking as I am considering a body upgrade from an A100.
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