Sony Alpha A550

Sony is on a roll when it comes to digital camera innovation. We applauded when the ultra-zoom HX1 introduced sweep-your-arm automatic panorama shooting and multiple image compositing to combat blur and image noise (see review here). Now, with the A550 (and its lower-cost, lower-resolution brother, the A500), the company delivers in-camera high dynamic range images that successfully combine two exposures to create a single image with enhanced detail in both the highlight and shadow areas. We’ve seen in-camera HDR before, but it was limited to handheld shooting. With the A550, you can handhold the camera and, as long as your subject isn’t moving, the system works like a charm, adjusting for the inevitable tiny camera movements between shots through a software algorithm.

Another outstanding feature is fast burst-rate shooting. Let the camera keep the same autofocus and exposure setting between shots and you can fire off nearly 7 frames per second, an excellent result (even allowing for continued between-shot adjustments you get nearly 5 fps). And while it’s not new to the Sony Alpha line with this camera, the ingenious dual-imager Live View system, which allows fast phase-detect autofocus even when shooting in Live View, makes this mode practical even when shooting fast-moving subjects,

Overall, the A550 is a solidly built camera with decent imaging performance across the board, and a few features that stand out clearly from the pack. It strikes us as a bit expensive, particularly since it lacks the video shooting capability that’s increasingly becoming standard for gear in this price range. However, between in-camera HDR and fast burst-rate shooting, you can grab shots that would be lost otherwise, and that certainly makes this a camera worth considering

Performance

In most of our performance tests the A550 delivered acceptable but not outstanding results. The standout areas are dynamic range and, of course, shot-to-shot speed. Color accuracy wasn’t great, due in large part to oversaturation in every color mode, but overall image quality was acceptable across the board. Burst mode shooting is a definite strength: if you’re alright with having focus and exposure set with the first shot you get nearly seven shots per second and, if not, you still get almost five.

Hardware

The A550 sports a handsome articulated 3-inch LCD, hinged at the bottom (not our favorite configuration) but useful for overhead and down-low shooting. We also like the way the information display pivots to match the camera orientation when you hold the camera vertically. The variety of lenses available isn’t as broad as for Canon and Nikon SLRs, but there are enough choices for most practical purposes, and compatibility with Konica and Konica Minolta lenses is a plus. We also appreciate the HDMI port for output to an HDTV, but are baffled by the inability to connect to a standard-def television. We’d also prefer a dedicated autofocus assist light instead of blasting our subjects with bursts from the built-in flash in low-light conditions.

Controls

In some respects, the A550 is surprisingly limited, particularly when it comes to in-camera editing, scene modes and direct printing options. For core capabilities, though, the camera provides all the basics, though light on customization options. There are three areas where the A550 truly shines, though. The HDR shooting mode works very well, and produces results that offer practical advantages in difficult shooting situations. The high burst rate shooting speeds are particularly welcome in a consumer-priced camera. And if you like shooting in Live View mode, the fast autofocus system is worth its weight in gold.

Sample Photos

In the following sample images, clicking on the larger image will download the full resolution original. Each photo is accompanied by four actual-size crops.

Landscape Sample
				Focal length: 18mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/320 second ISO: 400 This shot was taken in aperture priority mode using the Landscape Creative Style, with automatic white balance and the dynamic range adjustment system turned off.

HDR Samples
	Focal length: 35mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/125 sec ISO: 200 Shot with multi exposure metering, the top version was taken with dynamic range adjustment turned off. The middle photo has the high dynamic range function set to Auto, allowing the camera to determine the exposure for the two shots. In the final image, we manually set the exposure difference to the maximum 3 EV.
	HDR Auto The recovered detail in the dark areas is nicely balanced here.
	HDR +3 Ramping up the exposure difference gains even more detail, but has the artificial look we associate with poorly conceived HDR photography.

Signage Sample
				Focal length: 24mm Aperture: f/10 Shutter: 1/250 second ISO: 200 Shot with center-weighted metering in aperture priority mode, with -0.7 EV exposure compensation. The colors here are oversaturated, particularly that bluer-than-blue sky, but the stitching on the flag and the crazed paint came out well.

Close-up Sample
				Focal length: 55mm Aperture: f/18 Shutter: 1/320 second ISO: 200 Shot in aperture priority mode with the camera handheld, using the Standard Creative Style. The different textures are captured nicely here, and even in bright daylight the shadowed areas still show some detail.

Low Light Sample
	Focal length: 45mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/800 ISO:200 We experimented with high ISO settings by shooting this clock face in a very dark room, with indirect light coming through the window on an overcast day, using manual white balance. The effect of digital sharpening is apparent, especially as we reach the highest ISO levels.
	ISO 1600
	ISO 3200
	ISO 6400
	ISO 12800

Sony Alpha A550 Specs
Type	Compact SLR / System
Focal Length Minimum	18.0 mm
Focal Length Maximum	55.0 mm
Still Pixel Count (gross)	14.6 megapixels
Still Pixel Count (effective)	14.2 megapixels
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Type - New	CMOS
Aspect Ratios	16:9, 3:2
Original Price	949.99 $
Height	104.0 mm
Width	137.0 mm
Depth	84.0 mm
Weight	597.0 g
Model Colors	black
Display Type	articulated LCD
Display Size	3.0 in.
Display Resolution	921600 pixels
Viewfinder Type	optical
Viewfinder Magnification	0.8 x
Viewfinder Coverage	95.0 % coverage
Diopter Adjustment - New	-2.5 to +1.0m^-1
Media New	Memory Stick PRO Duo, SD/SDHC
Connectivity Options	USB, miniHDMI, wired remote, hot accessory shoe
Battery Type	removable lithium-ion
Battery Model Number	NP-FM50
Mirror Technology (Interchangeable Lens)	DSLR
Waterproof	No
ISO Options	200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800
Minimum ISO	200
Maximum ISO	12800

Sony Alpha A550 Scores
Rating	Score	Weighting
Color Score	12.68	9.0
Color Modes Score	4.0	1.0
Long Exposure Score	9.3	4.0
Noise Score	6.47	9.0
ISO Options Score	5.0	1.5
Sharpness Score	10.96	6.0
Chromatic Aberration Score	7.11	3.0
Picture Options Score	9.67	0.5
Dynamic Range Score	9.39	6.0
Stabilization Score	5.5	5.0
Auto White Balance Score	11.09	4.0
Custom White Balance Score	5.67	2.0
White Balance Features Score	7.5	0.5
Playback Mode Score	7.5	1.5
In-Camera Editing Score	1.0	0.5
Software Score	4.5	0.5
Direct Print Features Score	2.0	0.5
Sensor Score	2.0	1.0
Viewfinder Score	7.5	1.5
LCD Score	10.1	2.5
Flash Score	9.5	1.0
Lens Mount Score	8.0	1.5
Battery Score	8.0	1.0
Memory Score	5.5	1.0
Connectivity Score	5.5	1.0
Other Hardware Score	0.0	0.5
Shooting Modes Scores	9.0	1.0
Live View Score	5.0	2.0
Scene Modes Score	4.0	0.5
Picture Effects Score	3.5	0.5
Focus Score	16.0	1.5
Exposure Score	6.75	1.0
DOF Preview Score	0.0	0.5
Metering Score	8.5	1.0
Shutter Speed Score	10.0	1.0
Self-Timer Score	3.0	1.0
Other Controls Score	0.0	0.5
Handling Score	7.0	2.5
Controls Score	9.0	2.5
Menu Score	7.0	2.0
Manual Score	5.0	1.0
Shot to Shot Score	6.67	3.0
Drive and Burst Modes Score	8.0	1.0
Video Color Score	0.0	1.25
Video Sharpness Score	0.0	1.25
Video Motion Score	0.0	0.63
Video Noise Score	0.0	0.63
Video Controls Score	0.0	1.2
Video Low Light Sensitivity Score	0.0	0.95
Video Low Light Color Score	0.0	0.78
Video Low Light Noise Score	0.0	0.78
Video Compression Score	0.0	0.95
Video Audio Score	0.0	0.3
Video Handling Score	0.0	0.73
Color Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Noise Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Playback Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Resolution Other Features Rating	0.0	0.5
Design & Handling Other Rating	0.0	0.5
Total:	712