Sony SLT Alpha A55

The Sony SLT Alpha A55. This camera changes everything. Not content with another “me too” DSLR camera design, Sony has changed the game with this amazing new camera. And, it is offered at a price that puts the sort of performance formerly reserved for pros into the hands of the price-sensitive enthusiast.

The SLT Alpha A55 cannot be called a DSLR. Sony has rejected the traditional DSLR design and instead created a hybrid built around live view, with full-time DSLR-style phase-detection autofocus. That gives the A55 phase-detection AF during movie recording and extremely fast continuous shooting rates (10 frames per second), previously attainable only in pro level DSLR’s. It uses a remarkable translucent fixed-mirror technology to make this possible.

What this means is a camera that simply redefines the field, offering capabilities that exceed by a good margin anything offered by either Canon or Nikon in its price range. Wow! The reviews of this camera so far have been very positive. In fact, let me quote from the review at imaging resource.com as I think is encapsulates what this camera means to the market:

“The most telling point was how hard I found it going back to an “ordinary” SLR after just a day of shooting with the A55. . . The Sony A55′s shooting speed matches that of professional models costing literally thousands of dollars more thanks to the unique pellicle mirror design, and its uniquely Sony features (Handheld Twilight/Multi-Shot ISO and Sweep Panorama modes in particular) take the A55 places no other SLR has gone before. . . While it’s primary target clearly is not the entry-level shooter, the Sony A55′s Auto+ mode takes it closer to true “just push the button” simplicity in auto mode than any other camera we’re aware of, enabling novice-level users to enjoy the multi-shot and other Scene modes without having to worry about which to use when. At the other end of the spectrum, for the enthusiast with time to become acquainted its capabilities and familiar with its quirks, the Sony A55 expands the realm of amateur photography further than any SLR to date. In the A55 and A33, Sony has used outside-the-box thinking to deliver a uniquely capable, functional, and well-designed SLR. Hot on the heels of their category-redefining NEX-3 and NEX-5, Sony’s engineers have now likewise redefined what consumers can expect from an SLR.”

I also appreciated the review by dpreview.com. They withheld final judgement on image quality until the ability to edit raw images becomes available (for enthusiasts that’s what really matters). However, they concluded the following: “Ultimately though it is the ‘bread and butter’ stuff – the excellent all-round performance of the A55′s key systems, its fluid ergonomics and largely hassle-free handling that really make it stand out, and we have no hesitation in giving it a gold award.”