A55 review now up

[bfitzgerald]

I went into a shop and tried one..granted not for long but I think you can get an ok idea about handling from holding it.
General point about handling here though, you'll only go so small with cameras such as this and the LCD sizes are at about the largest you'd want. Any bigger and you'll have to do away with the buttons.

[TomB]

Thank you David for your long awaited in-depth review! Just one less important correction – you can wake up the camera with the Play button (|>) too.

I my opinion, the bottom hinged display is better than a side hinged. I turn the screen round as you and I open it rarely. But when I need it shortly it is enough to swivel it half way down. The only drawback of this solution is for people filming themselves on a tripod.

For uploading movies (in AVCHD) I use the included software PMB and a card reader - no need to connect the camera and waist the battery. The software is not very smart, but the advantage is that it downloads the GPS information, it renames the files to a YYYYMMDDhhmmss-form (original files may be unsorted - the camera fills number gaps when you delete movies). You can correct the GPS positions using the MapView - it rewrites the embedded information in JPG and ARW files and in the sidecar .modd files for movies (in movies there is embedded GPS information too but it is unfortunately not updated). You can download trimmed movies back to the camera and still display the GPS info.

[David Kilpatrick]

PMB is PC-only Tom.

David

[2tallpaul]

Thanks for an excellent & in depth review David

What lens do you feel is the best all rounder for everyday use on the A55

regards

Paul

[David Kilpatrick]

For me, as lens choice goes so far, the 16-80mm CZ. The sensor benefits from the resolution of this lens. It also works well with the Sigma 8-16mm which is extremely high resolution in the centre, and with the 30mm Sony f/2.8 macro. I have not used the 35mm f/1.8, 50mm f/1.8 or 85mm f/2.8 SAM lenses but I imagine they will all be great.

I have used the Sigma 18-250mm and it's good, but begins to run out of sharpness over 150mm or so. The sensor is just asking a little too much of this lens at the long end.

David

[Lonnie Utah]

What lens do you feel is the best all rounder for everyday use on the A55

I'm guessing that DK is going to say the 16-80 CZ....

EDIT: I was right! (and for fwiw, Dave posted while I was posting so it WAS a guess!

[TomB]

PMB is PC-only Tom.

Oh so, it was not obvious from the review that you are using a mac

I never used any automated software for file copying. Now the PMB is the only exception because of GPS data handling.

[David Kilpatrick]

Lightroom can use the GPS Data, but Photoshop is as yet badly equipped to handle it - I think the reason Expression Media 2 does it so well is that Microsoft bought this program before Phase One acquired it, and during their ownership, added their own Virtual Earth to the menus.

I've used PMB previously on the PC with the old separate Sony GPS data logger, but it's not a program I would want to use routinely - certainly not in place of Bridge, Lightroom, iMovie.

The AVCHD movie format is extremely computer-unfriendly insofar as very few programs will play the data files directly (Roxio's programs like Toast and Nero will do). That's because the format is basically imitating a DVD. I shoot MPEG4 just for ease of editing and to be able to upload unedited files to internet.

David

[Dusty]

David, Thank you for an excellent review. I read it Sunday night and now seem to have only problems with EVF quality - if they come up with a hi-res viewfinder it will be more palatable - battery life and my biggest reason of all - it has an EVF!

I may be able to get used to a high-res EVF, you point out several advantages that it has over an OVf, but I often take my camera into the woods, were often as not I'll use the tele lens and camera in the off position as a spotting scope. Hence my preference for the 580.

Of course, I also have traveled quite a bit in the past, and those opportunities may present themselves again, hence my desire for GPS, which pre-production rumors said would also be in the 580. Maybe IF they do a OVF 750 they'll put it in there.

Dusty

[agorabasta]

David, the AVCHD video files are the same MP4 ( the .mts extension files at \PRIVATE\AVCHD\BDMV\STREAM folder on the card), and can be played if an appropriate video codec is installed on your computer.

[David Kilpatrick]

Not by iMovie. They have to be imported as a Camera Archive or from the camera. It won't even recognis the .mts files as video without the database present. Toast can play them straight out, it handles the codec, so at least I can just double-click the files and view them. But that does not help with editing them - and Quicktime Pro, which I also use, doesn't recognise them unless they have been imported and re-exported as .mov or .mp4 (etc) files.

David

[agorabasta]

David, it's about time you get yourself a decent PC. Your problems on the Mac are totally artificial, created on purpose by you know who.

[Dr. Harout]

...Your problems on the Mac are totally artificial, created on purpose by you know who.

Forrest Gump?

[agorabasta]

...Your problems on the Mac are totally artificial, created on purpose by you know who.

Forrest Gump?

That poor chap too? Imposing blanket copyright limitations against your own copyright over your private data?

[supernovak]

On my PC AVCHD files work like a charm - and I love how I can instantly burn BD disk using DVD medium.
The whole process atkes 10 minutes for full 4.5 GB disK (an hour of 1920x1080) material. Amazing quality on my HD projector
Also many software packages like Corel's $60 Video Studio Pro x3 do an amazing (and ultra fast) job with AVCHD files.

Many cool features, works really well on my i7 machine.

David, the AVCHD video files are the same MP4 ( the .mts extension files at \PRIVATE\AVCHD\BDMV\STREAM folder on the card), and can be played if an appropriate video codec is installed on your computer.