Sony Alpha 550 review

At the top of the step up Sony range can the A550 be as good as its competition?

The top end of the amateur DSLR camera market is a competitive industry and the Sony A550 has its work cut out to contend with the likes of Canon and Nikon. In a strategy to win over consumers the A550 significantly undercuts its opponents so the user can be assured the A550 is packed full of features.

The step up range from Sony has been designed for the user who is neither professional nor completely amateur. The A550 sits above the A500 in the Alpha range and for £100 dearer it accompanies some significant upgrades. Firstly the improvement of the 14 megapixel sensor over the 12 megapixel sensor does make a difference in image quality. The results of the A550 appear to have less of a magenta cast then those of the A500 and the results were also superior when it came to metering. The A550 appears to be able to cope with trickier lighting conditions with a high contrast range. Other additional improvements include a higher quality LCD screen that comes with a resolution of 921,600 dots and a faster continuous shooting mode that can fire a rapid 7 frames per second in the speed-priority mode. This is fast for a camera of this level and where the A550 has an edge over its competitors. 

Looks wise there are minimal differences between the two models although the slightly bulkier body of the A550 is more desirable and the rubber grip situated down the side makes it easy to hold. However disappointingly the overall build quality of the A550 does not match up to the superior standards of its major competitors in the industry. The plastic and tacky finish does not feel as if it endure the occasional knock or bump and build quality is an area where it will be good to see Sony make substantial improvements in the future. However when it comes to ease of use then the Sony A550 cannot be criticised as everything is clearly labelled and the menu system is quick to navigate. The dial situated on the top panel means it is easy to flick between automatic and manual modes although for the novice photographer the A550 does include a overwhelming amount of settings. On the plus side Sony has foreseen that this could be an issue so have included instructions that appear for every setting, which are clear to understand.

For Under £700 there is not much to complain about when it comes to value for money however one disappointing observation is the lack of video mode. For some people this will not be an issue however if this is at the top of your priority list then the Sony A550 is not for you. Interestingly Sony has still included an HDMI connection port for a direct connection to the television. This appears a little pointless without a video mode, as most people will only want to upload their images straight to a computer. This factor aside the A550 cannot be faulted for the impressive list of features it incorporates.

Firstly the Auto-HDR setting can be easily operated with the flick of a button. The feature takes two consecutive images, one of the highlights and one of the lowlights and merges them together in camera. In tricky high contrast lighting situations the HDR certainly proved to be worthy. Another advantage it holds over its rivals on the market is the impressive ISO range that can be adjusted to a staggering 12800. At the higher levels there was obvious noise in the images however up to 3200 the model did well to cope. Having the ability to alter the settings to high ISO levels is a great novelty and for indoor use is highly practical.

For a camera of this level the image results are impressive even when using the standard kit lens. The Auto White Balance performed excellently 99% of the time and in difficult tungsten light the A550 did not need to be told what to do. Images were also to a high standard when it came to metering with highlights and lowlights correctly exposed. Thanks to the Dynamic Range feature and the exposure compensation control that has a range of +/-2EV it is easy to achieve a correct exposure. Additional settings such as the histogram and colour balance can all be analysed in the camera by pressing one button, which is useful for the more advanced photographer.     

For the novice photographer Sony has also included familiar settings you would find on a compact model such as face and smile detection. The face detection feature can track up to 8 faces in scene, which was useful for big group shots. For the more advanced photographer these types of features may seem a little patronising however when comparing the A550 to its competitors on the market they all include them.  

Another commonplace feature now appearing in most DSLRs including professional bodies is a live view function. Predictably the Sony A550 incorporates this feature and with the use of the tilt LCD screen that has a 90-degree angle creative shooting from above and below is possible. To flick between the live view and the viewfinder a switch has been conveniently placed on the top panel for easy access. When using the viewfinder the Sony A550 has coverage of 95%, which for a camera of this level is common and does not cause any real problems when composing. Using the model on live view does substantially decrease the battery life however on a full day shoot the Sony A550 encompassed no problems.  

When it came to focusing the auto mode is quick to adjust however it does feel very twitchy in the hands. If you want to discreetly focus then definitely switch the A550 to the manual mode. This can be easily achieved by flicking the switch on the side of the lens. The Sony A550 will perform a manual focus on the live view setting however this feature appears a little pointless, as the user will achieve sharper results using the viewfinder and is easier to control.     

Overall the Sony A550 is a great DSLR packed full of features and produces excellent images for a camera of its level. The two major issues that pull it down is poor body build quality and the lack of video mode. If you can put these issues aside then you will not be disappointed.