First impressions of A550

[alphaomega]

There seems to be a lot of criticism of the A550 before it has even hit the shelves. I would prefer to wait for David Kilpatrick to post a comprehensive review. Here is a review of the A500/550 I picked up from DPReview. Seems quite positive. http://www.photocrati.com/...0-and-a550 ... st-report/
The bottom line:

The Bottom Line
The A500 or the A550 would be a fine choice for DSLR novices thanks to the many digicam-style features, but the great versatility and advanced functions make it just as suitable for photo enthusiasts. The A550 would be my first choice because of its superior LCD screen. A few years ago, the early Alpha cameras appealed primarily to those who already owned some compatible Minolta Maxxum/Dynax lenses. Today, the system is succeeding on its own merits. Regardless of budget or needs, you should be able to find at least one Sony Alpha camera that’s just right in terms of feature set, performance and value.

Not bad. I have more or less decided I am going to have the A550 when the price hits £500 and RAW conversion with CA removal available. Looking forward to reading David's views.

[bossel]

The A550 is not for me, but honestly it's not looking bad. Would I still be with my KM 5D and no A700, I would have a really hard time now to decide between A700 and A550. The A700 has a great build, a better viewfinder, MLU, and that's (more or less it). The A550 seems to be better in many other points.

[bfitzgerald]

People will buy the A5xx models for better high ISO, faster FPS. It might do ok.

But I think it's only worth a look at a firestorm price of £300 odd, I would get deeply frustrated paying £600 for a camera which IMO lacks many should have features. This is the problem with Sony's mega multi model line up 5 models, and yet they still miss some shooters who want something like a D90, I would be all over such a camera, but it's not there in the line-up.

If I need a good high ISO machine, I'll use my 5d, truth be told, that's plenty good enough for me, and it has the stuff I like (MLU, DMF, lens release option!) I'll be ebaying 5d's before I buy an entry Sony. I can but hope the next batch of cameras are much improved, if we get the same again (in other words ignoring stuff like MLU, for face detection), then I really will have to think about making a move to Nikon at some point. I am sure the new A7xx will be great, it's just £1000+ is out of my spend range, there is nothing in the Alpha line-up for middle range shooters, who want solid features, and not consumer stuff.

[Javelin]

Thats the point. Sony is probably reading your posts and making their decision of what features they can use to make semi pros switch to the more expensive bodies. you may have single handedly drawn attention to those features as what drives sales in the segment your in thus preventing them from making your camera!

[bossel]

... then I really will have to think about making a move to Nikon at some point. ...

Life is full of compromises (esp. when choosing cameras, cars, houses, wifes...). There never will be the perfect model for you, concerning weight, size, price, speed, features, colour etc. So when you find something reasonable close, go for it. And after you've sold all your Minolta staff and switched to Nikon, be sure Sony presents the camera you've been waiting for 5 years.

[bfitzgerald]

Hmm not sure life is full of huge compromises, esp where cameras are concerned. It's not about perfection, just a simple request to Sony, and that is...

Stop downgrading new models!
I don't think I am alone, or the only one puzzled by their direction of late.
FF they looks pretty strong to me (esp bang per buck), but lower down they don't impress. It's not a case of one feature missing, deal killer, but a whole host of useful stuff, taken out..and nobody knows why (well I think we do, it's to make higher end models more appealing) Camera makers have always done this, but few to the degree Sony has.

[alphaomega]

Barry and Phixel (at DPReview) keep complaining about Sony DSLR releases and now the A500/550 are getting the treatment even before a spread of reviews have been made available. I must confess that I would not consider any of the new A2/3XX models but I am keenly interested in the A550 and rather than waiting for an unattainable BF price of £300 I will buy at £500. Whilst I would appreciate MLU and DOF in this camera I rarely use these features on my A700 and did not miss them on the A350 I have more or less passed to my wife. If I need to use these I would employ my A700. I actually find that APS-C, SSS and flexible ISO remove the need for DOF in my type of photography. The face recognition was already available and I doubt it has cost Sony a Yen to incorporate this feature. The A550 looks to me a good camera and when I can get one at £500 I will purchase. I am awaiting David Kilpatrick's detailed evaluation and I just have the feeling that with the Live View options, higher ISO performance and 14Mp this will be a camera producing superb images and representing good value for money. I submit images to Alamy and make sales. I have been most satisfied with my Sony cameras R1, A700 and A350 recognising their limitations. I have no interest in moving to a different marque and frankly I find the Sony cameras easy to use and wholly satisfactory. I am certain there will be a A700 replacement. It will cost +/- £1000 and I doubt it will produce better results in 99% of the cases than the A550. Time will show.

[bfitzgerald]

Great, enjoy buy 2 if you like!
My position is the same, I don't need a review to know how poorly featured it is, that's all I need to know.

[KevinBarrett]

My new big interest is in off-camera flash photography, particularly the all-manual variety with TTL turned off. If this weren't so, I could probably live with an a550, but since that camera lacks the female PC sync, I'll happily explore that function with my a700 until it is replaced or the a900 goes down in price.

[RubberDials]

Great, enjoy buy 2 if you like!
My position is the same, I don't need a review to know how poorly featured it is, that's all I need to know.

The A550 is not poorly featured. That's a ridiculous thing to say.

[KevinBarrett]

In just one sense does the a550 seem like a let-down; that it, the newest Alpha, does not replace the a700, the oldest Alpha, or offer any significant features from that camera that are missing in the enry-level line-up. But I would not say that it is poorly featured for its price range, just differently featured.

The DSLR market isn't what it was. When the a700 was introduced it was the top of the line and had to have all of the functionality that a pro would expect to use. And it was pricey. The a5xx range starts at half the cost the a700 started at and has most of what that camera offers without the expensive body material. You can't really compare the two just because you feel disappointed by it, they are different cameras to different markets at different times.

I'll bet that if the a700 was introduced today, exactly the same as it is now, at the price that it is now, but called the a600 instead, Barry wouldn't be complaining so much.

[alphaPDX]

Hmm not sure life is full of huge compromises, esp where cameras are concerned. It's not about perfection, just a simple request to Sony, and that is...

Stop downgrading new models!
I don't think I am alone, or the only one puzzled by their direction of late.

I hate to feed the Sony economists any bright ideas but.. wouldn't life be interesting if they offered point-specific firmware updates for $10 apiece? For $10 you can have MLU, or jpg option B, or burst timer. See the response and move along - even if we can't get them all in one go at least the focus-group addicts will have hard facts. Maybe a future model will cost $30 more and include features we really want and have shown we're willing to pony up for?

While not as vociferous as Barry, I agree with him on several points. Sony has shown it's willing to cater to one-feature-focused people with extreme ISO; given that precedent why claim that we no longer need some other features? Saying it's true doesn't make it true - and while you're at it, just introduce iso 1million and you can get rid of SSS.
Gee Barry, trying to sound like you can be fun!

[Dusty]

I think that the 550 shows us that Sony can put lots of features into a higher end consumer camera, and at a decent price. They have either got a really good 700 replacement up their sleeves, or they're saying the 850 is it, go full frame.

The 850 is debuting at a price that's about $500 more than the 700 was when introduced, so they might consider that the 700 replacement. It has all the features of the 700 plus, and it's trice the MPs as well. There's not another FF camera in it's price range that offers the same MPs. and Canon's 21 MP versions start at an additional $700.

The main thing I lament on my 350, and by extension the 550, is the lack of a PC socket for the flash. MLU was rarely used on my film cameras, and barely missed on my DSLR. The same goes for DOF Preview, although I probably used it quite a bit more than MLU.

If the features you want are more important than the ones the new models are offering, buy the 700, 850, 900 or switch brands. Then you can gripe in a Canon/Nikon?Pentax forum that they don't give you exactly what you want.

Maybe I'm just to easy too please, since my first 35mm was an old Argus C3! Even the kids P&S has that beat by a mile.

Dusty

[bfitzgerald]

The A550 is not poorly featured. That's a ridiculous thing to say.

It is poorly featured, it's just a basic entry model with a nice sensor and faster FPS, it's entirely missing any features expected in this range.

No MLU
No DMF
No AEL spot toggle
No DOF preview
No Spot metering circle in VF (but strangely they show one for the LCD live view, so the manual says)
No ISO in VF
No program shift
No shutter or release priority option
No lens release lock option (but sony ripped this out on all recent ones, forced to M mode)
Same old 0.7 bracketing range (despite requests for a larger range)
No button on body for WB
No switch on body for SSS on/off
No in camera raw development/filters/re-touching, despite other makers doing this
Same old near decade old 9 point AF, centre cross. How about a few more cross sensors??
No ISO 100

The rest of the feature set is just bog standard consumer DSLR, 5fps and CMOS added to Lv are the only appeal points. Frankly I thought Sony were kidding when they said "the next level" They had to do something, so they did the MF LV (wow big deal, present on everyone else's cameras mostly) If it didn't have 5fps or this 7 on the A550, it would get laughed off the stage.

Sony def didn't bust a gut packing it out with stuff.

Not that I expected an A700 spec, but seriously, this should at least have some of the features above, it's outclassed by a 2005 DSLR. To think some of us even wondered if AF micro adjust would make it in! hah...boy were we well off on that one! Cmon for £600 odd, you would expect a bit more than this. Some folks are worked up about the high ISO, sure it looks good, but this is just catch up for Sony, it was time to bury the 10/14mp CCD's long ago.

[Birma]

I think we have got in the 5xx what Sony thought "we" wanted. When the A100/700 came out all of the press (in the Uk anyway) reviews could be summarised as "nice enough canera, in body SSS, poor ISO". So next product cycle along Sony has focused on the poor ISO - look at all of the marketing $ they poored in to the twilight football thing.

Not one review I have read (in the UK hard-copy press) of any make's entry level dslrs has mentioned lack of MLU etc. But they all still major on ISO performance.

I want all of the MLU, button stuff in Barry's list - but I think Sony are responding the the market as they see it, in the press, not internet forums.