Sony A55 Review

4.5

February 17, 2011 | Mark Goldstein |

Buy a alpha SLT-A55 Black SLR Digital Camera Kit w/ 18-55mm Lens (16.2 Megapixel - 7.6 cm 3" LCD - 3.1x Optical Zoom - 4912 x 3264 Image - 1920 x 1080 Video - MP4 - HDMI)

Lowest Price: N/A

Buy a Alpha 55 SLT-A55V Black SLR Digital Camera

Lowest Price: $489.99

Specifications

Lens Mount

Sony α mount	YES
Compatibility with A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta	YES

Lens Compatibility

All types of Sony α lenses	YES
Minolta & Konica Minolta α/MAXXUM/DYNAX lenses	YES

Image Sensory

Image sensor type	CMOS Sensor
Image sensor colour filter	R, G, B, Primary color
Size (mm)	23.5 x 15.6 (APS-C size)

Camera

Total sensor Pixels (megapixels)	Approx. 16.7
Effective Pixels (megapixels)	Approx. 16.2
Automatic White Balance	YES
White balance: preset selection	Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash
White balance: custom setting	YES
White balance: types of color temperature	2500 - 9900 k with 19-step Magenta / Green compensation
White balance bracketing	3 frames, Selectable 2 steps
ISO Sensitivity Setting	ISO100 - 12800 equivalent

SteadyShot INSIDE

System: Sensor-shift mechanism	YES
SteadyShot INSIDE scale (in viewfinder)	YES
Camera-Shake warning (in viewfinder)	NO
SteadyShot INSIDE capability	Approx. 2.5 EV - 4 EV decrease in shutter speed (varies according to shooting conditions and lens used)
SteadyShot INSIDE compatibility	All Sony DSLR lenses and A-Mount bayonet lenses from Minolta and Konica Minolta
*SteadyShot INSIDE was previously known as Super SteadyShot

Anti-Dust

Charge protection coating on Low-Pass Filter and electromagnetic vibration mechanism

YES

Auto Focus System

TTL phase-detection system	YES
Sensor	15 points (3 points cross type)
Sensitivity Range (at ISO 100 equivalent); EV	-1 - 18
Eye Start AF System (on off selectable)	YES
AF Area: Wide focus area	YES (auto with 15 areas)
AF Area: Spot	YES
AF Area: Local focus area selection	YES (15 local areas)
AF Area: Multi Point	NO
AF Area: Center Weighted	NO
AF Area: Flexible Spot	NO
AF Modes	Continuous, Single Shot, Automatic, Manual Focus
Predictive Focus Control	YES (AF-A and AF-C)
Focus Lock	YES
AF Illuminator	YES (with built-in flash)
AF Illuminator range (meters)	Approx. 1-5

Auto Exposure System

Light metering type	1200-zone evaluative metering
Light metering cell	NO
Light metering: Multi segment	YES
Light metering: Spot	YES
Light metering: Center weighted	YES
Exposure: Automatic	YES
Exposure: Program Auto	YES
Exposure: iAUTO	NO
Exposure: AUTO+	YES
Exposure: Shutter priority	YES
Exposure: Aperture priority	YES
Exposure: Manual	YES
Exposure: Scene selection	YES
Sweep Panorama	YES (2D, 3D)
Anti Motion Blur	NO
AE Lock	YES
Exposure compensation	YES (+/-2.0 EV, 1/3 EV step)
AE Bracketing	With 1/3 EV / 2/3 EV increments, 3 frames

Shutter

Type	Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane type
Shutter Speed Range (seconds)	1/4000 - 30 and bulb
Flash Sync Speed; second	1/160
Flash Sync Speed (With Steady Shoot On); second	1/160

Flash

Built-in-Flash Guide Number (in meters at ISO 100)	10
Flash Metering System	ADI / Pre-flash TTL flash metering
Flash Compensation	+/-2.0 EV (1/3 EV steps)
Built-in-Flash Recycling Time (approx. time in seconds)	4
Flash Mode	Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow sync, Rear flash sync. High Speed sync.
Wireless flash mode	YES (with optional compatible accessory flash)
Slow Synchronization	YES
Red-Eye Reduction	YES
Flash Popup	Auto
Automatic Flash	YES

Viewfinder

Type	Electronic
Field of View (%)	100
Magnification (with 50mm lens at infinity)	1.10x
Eye Relief	Approx. 19mm from the Eyepiece lens
Diopter Adjustment	-4.0 to +4.0 diopter

Live View

Type	YES - Quick AF Live View
Other	Face detection / Smile shutter

LCD screen

Screen Size	7.5cm / 3" Wide
Monitor Type	Xtra Fine TruBlack LCD
LCD Total Dot Number	921.600
LCD on/off	YES
Brightness adjustable	YES
Tilting screen	YES - Variable Angle Tilt
Rotating screen	YES

Recording

Drive Mode	Single, Continuous, 10 seconds and 2 seconds Self-timer
Continuous-Advance Rate (approx. frames per second at maximum)	Max.10 fps in Continuous Advance Priority AE, max. 6 fps in Drive Mode
Number of Continuous Advance	JPEG (L size, Fine): 35 images, RAW: 20 images, RAW+JPEG: 20 images
Recording Media	Memory Stick PRO Duo™, Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™, SD, SDHC, SDXC memory cards
Recording Format	JPEG (DCF Ver. 2.0, Exif Ver. 2.3, MPF Baseline) compliant, DPOF compatible, RAW (Sony ARW 2.2 format), RAW + JPEG
Image Size L - JPEG (pixels)	4912 X 3264 (16M)
Image Size M (pixels)	3568 X 2368 (8.4M)
Image Size S (pixels)	2448 X 1624 (4M)
Panorama size:Max. degrees of sweep angle(focal length 16mm/18mm)	"Image Size: Std Horizontal: 8,192 x 1,856(135deg/120deg) / Vertical: 3,872 x 2,160(101deg/90deg) Image Size: Wide Horizontal: 12,416 x 1,856(202deg/180deg) / Vertical: 5,536 x 2,160(142deg/126d
3D Panorama size:Max. degrees of sweep angle(Focal length:16mm/18mm)	Image Size: 16:9 Horizontal: 1920 X 1080(69deg/62deg) Image Size: Std Horizontal: 4912 X 1080(178deg/158deg) Image Size: Wide Horizontal: 7152 X 1080(259deg/230deg)
Still Image quality	RAW, RAW + JPEG, JPEG (Fine, Standard)
Movie Recording Format	AVCHD / MP4
Video Compression	MPEG-4 AVC / H.264
Audio recording Format	Dolby® Digital (AC-3) / MPEG-4 AAC-LC
Movie recording mode - AVCHD	YES, 1920 x 1080 (50i, Interlace), Approx.17Mbps (Average bit-rate) (PAL)
Movie recording mode - MP4	YES, 1440 x 1080 (Approx.25fps, Progressive), Approx.12Mbps(Average bit-rate) (PAL) / VGA(640 x 480, Approx.25fps, Progressive), Approx.3Mbps(Average bit-rate) (PAL)
GPS Heading	YES
Noise Reduction (Long exp.NR)	On / Off, available at shutter speeds longer than 1 second
Noise Reduction (High ISO NR)	YES
Delete Function	YES
Color Space (sRGB)	YES
Color Space (Adobe RGB)	YES
Color mode/DEC/Creative styles	Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, B/W
Dynamic Range Optimizer	Off, Auto, Advanced: Level
Date/Time Print	YES

Playback/Edit

Information Display	YES
White/Black Out Alert	YES
Index Playback	YES (12, 6)
Enlarge (Maximum magnification)	L size: 11.8x, M size: 8.8x, S size: 6x
Image Rotation	YES
Auto Image Rotation	YES

General

Battery Remaining Indicator	YES
InfoLITHIUM Battery Indicator	YES (in %)
Histogram Indicator	YES
Exif	2.3
Exif Print	YES
PictBridge	NO
Menu Language	English / French / German / Spanish / Italian / Portuguese / Dutch / Russian / Swedish / Danish / Norwegian / Finish / Polish / Czech / Hungarian / Greek / Turkish
Zone Matching	NO
Depth-of-Field Preview	YES
PRINT Image Matching III	YES
Remote Release Terminal	YES
IR Remote Control	YES (with RMT-DSLR1)
DPOF(Digital Print Order Format)	YES
Indicator of remaining memory space (CF)	YES
Beep Sound	On/Off selectable
File Number Memory	On/Off selectable
Folder Name Mode	Standard and Date
Operating Temperature (degrees C)	0 - 40

Jacks

Video Out	NO
HD/HDMI® Out	HDMI® mini connector (Type C), BRAVIA® Sync (Sync menu), Photo TV HD
USB 2.0 Hi-Speed	YES
USB Mode	Mass Storage (PC connection) / PTP

Power/Others

Battery System	NP-FW50
Supplied Battery	NP-FW50
Stamina (battery life in CIPA condition)	Approx. 330 images with viewfinder, approx. 380 images in live view mode
Weight (g)	Approx. 441