- Translucent Mirror Technology accelerates AF performance
- Continuous 10 fps shooting with continuous Phase Detect AF
- Worlds1st consumer HD video camera w/ cont. Phase Detect AF
- 16.2 megapixels with Sony's Exmor HD APS sensor
- Brand Name: Sony
- Model: SLTA55V
- Optical Sensor Resolution: 16.2 MP
- Optical Sensor Technology: CMOS
- Display Size: 3 inches
This is my first DSLR camera and I have no regrets on buying it. I am an amateur at using a DSLR, but this camera did not make me feel like it. I love all the different features. One of the qualities that sold me on this particular camera as opposed to others was the built in GPS. It is extremely useful when you are traveling and can't remember exactly where you were. My husband is in the Marines and we travel often and that feature works well formus. One of my friends (also and amateur) used this camera to take pictures at my wedding and the battery life was excellent. She shot over 700 pictures just on the wedding and did not need to recharge it. The picture color is breath taking and so is the clarity. The 10 fps is also a good quality feature. I now mostly use it to take pictures of my daughters at various events or family functions and this camera is perfect.
I've been using a Sony A230 (my first DSLR) and have been wanting to upgrade. I found this item and have been wanting it because it seemed like a good step up. I was so right! I'm a stay at home mom who does some photography on the side, I'm pretty new to it, I shoot families and individual portraits. I also do some nature shots in my free time, but don't really do much other than share them on Facebook and such. I haven't taken it on a shoot yet, but have taken plenty of pictures of my kids and nature near to home (birds in the trees, sky, etc) and LOVE IT!! I also wanted a camera that could do video so that I could use it on my kids. I love having some home videos and am glad the quality seems very good. I took a 2 minute video of my husband playing guitar and it did just fine, no overheating or anything. I saw some reviews of this camera overheating when taking "long videos". I for one would like to know how long a "long video" is...but for the most part, my videos won't be very long since my kids are in elementary school and anything that I would record would be short.
Anyway, for what I need and the money I had available, this is perfect for me! No problems with it and I love the quality!
Well I was looking for a compact interchangeable lens camera that had fast shutter, image stabilization, (low noise in high iso), good quality images, and easy to use/learn. Sony NEX menus were complicated, Panasonic not good enough (LNIHO), Olympus not good enough-but they are more creative with their effects. (In the future I'll get one for that.) Samsung slow processing. Nikon too damn high and barely any lenses. I wasn't trying to spend 600. Just under and I had not much of a choice but to go with a small dslr and this one overall seemed small but great. Could've went for higher sony alpha models but weighed more, got more bigger. So I settled for this and I'm glad I did. I really like the 3d effect on every picture. You can see it when your just using the viewfinder. It's damn near awesome. Videos are good, fast AF, easy menus, good enough in iso, and very fast camera. The seller I bought this from didn't have a CD or manual in the box, but it's easy to learn if you spend some time learning the basics of photography and using it like you know what you're doing. Like that the iso is a button and not that annoying turn dial with the numbers on it. I have small hands. And its a perfect fit. So I love this camera. May upgrade if I get more experienced one day, but i'm a beginner and this is my first dslr and i love it!
I don't know what it is about this camera; it's great but I feel like it needs some refining or something, and I guess I expected it to be so much better than my previous camera. I did buy it used, but for some reason it seems I can get just as good pictures with my lesser Sony a330 camera at low iso settings. At higher iso ratings, however, this thing is awesome up to 800 iso, then some noise starts creeping in, but still iso 1600 is rather usable especially if you have photoshop or noise reducing software. The 10 shots per second is kind of too much, I usually use it a 7fps which still is really fast.
I had a hard time deciding between this and the a580, but ended up with this because the video can autofocus and is amazing, plus this one was available to me for much much cheaper. The 16mp actually shows a difference between the kit lens and the Sony 50mm 1.8 lens I also own. The 1.8 is a sharper lens as a prime lens should be, but there was no real noticable difference between the 2 when using my a330. Overall this camera is definitely a keeper, I guess to me the a330's optical viewfinder feels better to me and the a55 is quite a battery hog so I got two batteries (a must). But I do like how the electronic viewfinder will show you in manual mode what your pic will look like before you even have to take a picture. I've heard of overheating problems with this camera; mine does not have chronic problems with this although sometimes it shuts off and I have to turn it back on so I'm not sure if it overheats when this happens?
There are a lot of cool gadgets put into this thing, but the auto hdr mode only works with jpeg, as well as many other things. My Minolta lenses also work on this thing too. Since the a580 is being phased out this is probably the best camera for the money Sony makes, except for it's now being replaced by the larger a57! I find this camera is fine to hold and comfortable yet being smaller than just about any other dslr. I don't understand how people can complain about how a dslr is too hard to hold when they use a stupid mini touchpad phone all day long and think touchpads are so cool and great??!! How hard is it to curl your pinky under the camera like you have to on just about any film slr?
Whatever. Give this puppy a try, It's pretty hard not to like and will get the job done well, though the a57 is probably better refined since it is newer.
