Sep 21, 2012 07:26 PM
4463 Views
(Updated Sep 30, 2012 03:06 PM)
The Good:
1) Lightweight. You donot seem tired if you carry it for day trips
2) In body Stabilization: Due to the sensor-shift stabilization any lens you attach to the camera is automatically stabilized. If you can get old Minolta lenses, they will automatically stabilize.
3) AF Points: The camera has a 15 point AF(out of which 3 are cross type). There are hardy any cameras in this price range that have these many autofocus(AF) points.
4) GPS: The camera has an in-built GPS. Quite useful if you use GPS tagging in your photographs. This GPS info is stored as an EXIF.
5) 10 FPS: The camera can shot at 10 FPS. This is quite useful for shooting fast action pictures. Competitive devices offer upto 6 FPS
6) Video Recording: You can record video continuously for atleast more than 10 mins(ie till sensor heat up). Competing devices have limited continuous video recording till 4-5 mins.
7) Autofocus during Video: As it has a translucent mirror, the camera can autofocus during video capture. This is not the case with traditional DSLRs.
8) Tilting LCD. Full 360 degree tilting LCD.
The Bad:
1) Battery: The battery life is quite poor. It only lasts for half a day. I recommend buying an extra battery with the camera.
2) Ergonomics: The grip is not quite good. My hand is unable to fully grip the camera. On long shooting hours the hand begins to paid a bit.
3) LCD Oil Deposits: Sometimes unable to view the LCD properly in sunlight as oil from face / hands easily gets deposited on it.
4) Buttons: Sony has reduced the number of buttons in the newer DSLRs and has buried options in the menu. It was a bit confusing in the beginning but now have got used to it.
Sony has come out with a decent DSLR which employs the translucent mirror; due to which autofocus is improved and the camera can continuously autofocus during video recording. The salient features of the camera are –
1) Pellicle mirror: The camera has a translucent mirror in front of the sensor. As per Sony’s docs 70% of the light goes to the sensor and the 30% light is diverted to the AF system. This way the camera can take pictures and autofocus at the same time. The camera does not have a OVF(Optical View Finder) but an EVF(Electronic View Finder). This means that the image you see through the EVF is the one which you will get when the picture is taken.
2) Sensor Shift Stabilization: When a photo is clicked there is obvious shake of hand, if a tripod is not used and the photos may get blurred. This is sorted out by stabilization which can be done in the lens or in the body of the camera. If the stabilization is in the lens then all the lenses used should be image stabilized. Sony employs sensor shift stabilization which is in the body. Due to this even if a non IS lens is used the camera body stabilizes it. Therefore you may use old Minolta lenses and they will automatically get stabilized. Some people state that in-lens IS is better than in-body IS. I have not faced any problems till date with my in-body IS. I have shot extensively at 300mm.
3) A 15 point AF: Sony A55 has a 15 point AF out of which 3 are cross type. Competitor brands have –
a. Nikon D5100: 11 AF points and 1 Cross point
b. Cannon 600D: 9 AF points and 1 cross point.
Cross type points are important as they function in a portrait mode(You use the camera in landscape mode). In portrait mode the cross type AF points are more accurate.
4) Shoots Faster: This is one of the few cameras which can shoot at 10FPS. Competitor brands can shoot at 3.7 FPS for Cannon 600D and 4 FPS for Nikon D5100.
5) GPS: A55 has an inbuilt GPS which is very useful for tagging pictures. No other competing camera has a GPS. The A55 also has a GPS assist data which is installed by the Sony application(included in the CD) via the net. This assist data helps in getting the GPS fix within seconds. I get the GPS fix within 3-5 secs. You will need to update the GPS assist data every month(as it is only useful for 30 days).
6) Battery Life: The camera’s battery is quite weak. It hardly lasts for a day. I generally carry an extra battery which is more than sufficient. Looking at the pros above this little con is Ok and can be managed with a little planning. The competing brands have significantly better battery life.
7) Video Autofocus: A55 is the only camera which can autofocus while shooting videos. This has been possible due to the new mirror design.(Pellicle Mirror).
8) Other Cool Features: The camera has other features mostly found in Point and Shoots like Smile Shutter, Face detection, Panorama Shooting, Shooting 3D pictures etc… A pro may not use these features but for a person upgrading from a Point and Shoot this is definitely an interesting feature.
9) Auto Mode mode and Auto+ mode: Really good. The camera chooses all the features and makes is simple for novices. The camera functions similar to a point and shoot. I generally use aperture priority hence will not be able to comment further on the same.
10) White Balance: The camera has good WB control and gives fairly life like colours. The presets are usually sufficient. I have rarely used a grey sheet for custom WB. The AWB also functions well in most situations. Firmware version 2 has also been released by Sony which has the following benefits –
1) Picture Effects: In camera filters to select various effects like Posterization, Partial Colours, high contrasts etc…Partial Colour effect is quite interesting and you get good shots with the same.
2) D-Range Button: You may assign any function to the D-Range button. It has seen not many use it and reassigning it is a good feature.
I would recommend the A55(The price has also been reduced to~32K) as compared to Nikon D5100 at 35K and Cannon 600D at~40K. The A55 camera has better features like GPS, in-body stabilization, higher ISO range, faster shooting speed, better AF system and video autofocus.
Therefore the Sony A55 becomes a no brainer(Cheaper than competitors, better features, lightweight, faster, better autofocus, and similar picture quality). Do feel free to ping me if anyone needs any further info on the camera.
