My first impression is that Sony has created a form digital single lens camera very small. First glance had me thinking that the camera might be just to celebrate and that my fingers could accidentally activate buttons. Both of these concerns demonstrated to be out of place, the body fits well in my hands and the balance was excellent. In general the A55 with the kit lens 18-55 mounted seemed very substantial and very solid.
Rather than plunge into the unique features of this digital camera I would like to comment on some nicer touches of Sony. Combination rear Swivel LCD Viewer / monitor is really very strong and offers a decent view even with moderate sunlight. The electronic viewfinder eyelevel is not exactly the same as the view through a prism of direct vision, but was more than enough. I liked show of artificial horizon of the search eyelevel that helped me keep the camera level while his hand.
Turning on the camera was almost instantaneous. The rear LCD shows information of corresponding configuration as a border all the way around the image view live. The live image changes from the rear LCD to eyelevel search when the cameras sensors detect that you raised the camera to his eye.
Operationally the A55 is just like any other digital single lens camera. Switches and buttons are marked with familiar icons and labels; the ubiquitous four-way controller is under the right thumb as any other camera, the command and mode diales are just where I would expect to find them. In short, when the camera is in the eye a photographer familiar with a Nikon or Canon camera not fumble much when trying to controls.
And now we are going to examine how the Sony A55 is very different. So far I have been referring to the A55 as camera lens only Digital (DSL), leaving the part of (R) "reflection" of the description that applies to other more traditional models.
In a traditional House there is a mirror that hangs down in the image path between the rear of the lens and shutter of the camera and image sensor. This mirror reflects the incoming image up in the viewfinder of eyelevel and sensors in focus and exposure. Everytime you tripped the shutter button this mirror should pop up out of the way so the image can pass though the image sensor. Then the shutter opens and closes the mirror are reinstated in the path for the image and restores eyelevel Finder view. This reflexive above and below action gives us the "R" in digital SLR.
Sony A55 has a mirror sitting on the route between the lens and the image sensor. However, this mirror doesn't move up and down to get out of the way when the shutter is tripped. The mirror of the A55 is half mirror images reflect both above it and pass as well. I think that's mirrored glasses or a two-way mirror as an example. But why Sony happened that this was an idea better than a mirror reflex movement?
Reflex mirrors have a blackout time every time that the shutter is tripped. For a fraction of a second is not only the Blind photographer but so are the focus and exposure sensors. For photography captured in a vigorous marcos five or six per second this is not an issue of enormous importance. However if the manufacturer wants to offer a camera with up to 10 frames per second blackout period almost it exceed the display period so that the focus and exposure are less certain. In addition there is an enormous amount of buffer necessary to avoid internal vibrations that would lead to blurry images - part of what makes the traditional cameras capable of 10 FPS so expensive.
The most senior of a design not reflex mirror is in video mode. A traditional camera design requires that the mirror above and out of the way for video capture. With the mirror until the focus and exposure sensors are blind and the camera must be focused manually or rely on autofocus based on not so good contrast. From the Sony A55 mirror is always down and play sensors focus and exposure are always in operation. This means that the Sony A55 can capture movies in HD 1080p with auto-focus and exposure, something that no other DSL can do so.
In operation found that the A55 in film mode to perform most other DSLR that I used. The video quality is not best (we'll see in a moment), but the experience of capture it was hard.
I have had several problems with the Sony A55. Many of my problems probably come from the little time had with the camera and is likely would they go away with familiarity better:
The A55 offers in camera HDR image capture. The camera will take several quick exhibitions on a wide range of settings and then combine them into one with a greater tonal range. The results were good about 40% of the time. I found more often results in camera HDR were too such as cartoons in color with flowers red and warm colours. Detail odious - established once HDR photographer has to turn off even after power down and restart manually. Forgetting to do this will result in the camera takes an HDR-image the next time it is switched on.
Video colors seem to be too strong. It is my being that I just more realistic contrast and color, but the A55 seems to add some "pop" warm colors in video just as it did in HDR. Not caring for it but my wife really liked so it is a matter of personal taste.
For heavy reliance on a Sony advanced shooter pictorial descriptions of demolition modes within the menu system only slow things. I think that even someone new to the use of exposure soon I tire of the rhythm of two delay rather than pictorial screen moves in the real menu screen.
I have some Nero software and Adobe's pretty good video editing. However, the Sony video output can not be opened with any brand. The AVCHD video captured by the A55 format appears to require a first step through the Sony software suites before my video could manage movies.
Conclusion: The Sony A55 is destination for two types of photographer. First moves the photographer from a compact digital camera that will appreciate the simple menu with pictorial assistance system. The second group is the family photographer that wants a highly reliable camera far easier than the average video capture. Photographer needing only rarely and short-lived video probably will be drawn a Nikon or Canon models for your largest accessory system and decrease the costs of entry.
Stu Eddins is blogger, instructor, merchandiser and is generally in charge of a lot of things for digital cameras and images of Porter. Visit his site at http://www.porters.com. Years of experience at the counter and in the classrooms have become Stu an evangelist for the preservation of the image, capture and share memories and help people understand the digital camera lenses, digital cameras.
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