Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Review

Overall Score

63

Main Features

  • 14 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • 200 - 12800 ISO
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
  • 7 fps continuous shooting
  • Built-In Wireless
  • 137 x 104 x 84 mm, 632g.
  • Price Category:
  • Replaced: Alpha DSLR-A100

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Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Overview


First introduced in December, 2009, Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 is a 14 MP DSLR with a APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sized CMOS sensor. Sony replaced the older Sony A100 with Alpha DSLR-A550. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:

Compare Sony A550 with Sony A100


Sony A550 comes with a 23.4 x 15.6 mm CMOS sensor, which has a diagonal of 28.12 mm (1.1").

- Full Frame
- Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Sensor resolution of Sony A550 ~ 4582 x 3055 pixels.

Sony A550 has Crop Factor: 1.54

The sensor has a surface area of 365.0 mm².

There are approximate 13,998,010 photosites (pixels) on this area.

Sony A550 Series History
Model Year $ Sensor ISO Weight Dimensions
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 Sony A580 2011 16MP 100 - 12800 599g 137 x 104 x 84mm
Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 Sony A560 2010 14MP 100 - 12800 599g 137 x 104 x 84mm
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony A550 2009 14MP 200 - 12800 632g 137 x 104 x 84mm
Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 Sony A500 2009 12MP 200 - 12800 630g 137 x 104 x 84mm

Proc and Cons of Sony A550


Get to know this camera closer. Let's look at the features and characteristics of this model. Compare Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 with competitors in entry-level dslr cameras.

Pros
Built-in Wireless
Tilting Screen
Optical Viewfinder
RAW Support
922k dots Screen Resolution
1/4000s Max Shutter Speed
Manual Exposure Mode
±2 AE Bracketing Range
Focus Bracketing
Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
External Flash
AF Face Detection
12800 Max Native ISO
7.0 fps Continuous Shooting
Manual Focus
9 Focus Points
Flash Sync Port
Cons
No Bluetooth
No Touch Screen
No Environmental Sealing
Low Battery Life: 480 shots
No Articulating Screen
No Full HD Video
Weight: 632g
Type Scores

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 has an Overall Score of 63/100 and ranked #102 out of 206 in DSLR cameras, and ranked #291 out of 1222 in all cameras.

Sony A550 Scores
Imaging score
52
Features score
65
Value for money score
77
Portability score
74
Overall score
63
Average Scores in Entry-Level DSLR
Imaging Score
52
Features Score
59
Value For Money Score
75
Portability Score
79
Overall score
61

Physical Dimensions of Sony A550


Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 weighs 632g and has external dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31"). Considering that the average weight of Entry-Level DSLR cameras is 538g, Sony A550 is 94 grams more than the average weight of cameras in this category.

Weight Comparison
Entry-Level DSLR Cameras


Sony A550
632g
Average weight
538g
Min weight
365g
Max weight
690g

Thickness Comparison
Entry-Level DSLR Cameras


Sony A550
84mm
Average Thickness
73mm
Min Thickness
53mm
Max Thickness
86mm

Here is the front and top view image of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 with the dimensions:

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Size Compared to Major Competitors


Model Weight Alpha DSLR-A550 Dimensions Alpha DSLR-A550
Sony SLT-A58 Sony A58 492 g 632 g 129 x 95 x 78 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 Sony A580 599 g 632 g 137 x 104 x 84 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony SLT-A55 Sony A55 500 g 632 g 124 x 92 x 85 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony SLT-A57 Sony A57 618 g 632 g 132 x 98 x 81 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony SLT-A77 II Sony A77 II 647 g 632 g 143 x 104 x 81 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony SLT-A37 Sony A37 506 g 632 g 124 x 92 x 85 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony SLT-A77 Sony A77 732 g 632 g 143 x 104 x 81 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Sony SLT-A68 Sony A68 610 g 632 g 143 x 104 x 81 mm 137 x 104 x 84 mm

Specifications of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550


General
Brand Sony
Model Alpha DSLR-A550
Announced December, 2009
Body Type Compact SLR
Lens
Lens Mount Sony/Minolta Alpha
Manual Focus
Focal Lens Multiplier 1.5
Number of Lenses 143
Macro Focus Range n/a
Screen
Screen Size 3"
Screen Type Tilting
Screen Resolution 922k pixels
Touch Screen
Live View
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.53
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9
Number of Cross Focus Points 0
Photography Features
RAW Support
Min Shutter Speed 1/30 sec
Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00
Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
External Flash
AE Bracketing
AE Bracketing Range ±2 EV
WB Bracketing
Sensor
Sensor Size APS-C
Sensor Type CMOS
Sensor Dimensions 23.4 x 15.6 mm
Sensor Area 365.0 mm²
Sensor Resolution 14 MP
Max Image Resolution 4592 x 3056
Max Native ISO 12800
Min Native ISO 200
Max Boosted ISO 0
Min Boosted ISO 0
Video Features
4K
Max Video Resolution None
Video Formats
Timelapse Recording
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
Connectivity
GPS None
Wireless Connectivity Built-In
Bluetooth
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Battery
Battery Life 480 shots
Battery Type Battery Pack
Battery Model NP-FM500H
Physical
Weight 632 g
Physical Dimensions 137 x 104 x 84 mm
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Shock Proof
Storage
Storage Type SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage Slots 1
Other Features
Self Timer
Selfie Friendly

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