Sony Alpha SLT-A55 Summary

The Sony Alpha SLT-A55 is an excellent alternative to a DSLR, acquiring most of their advantages, some unique abilities with very little downsides. Externally, the SLT-A55 is a lot like an entry-level DSLR, with a price to match. Its design though, which includes a translucent mirror, lets it perform phase-detect AF during exposures and video. No other ILC can shoot 1080p video while focusing so quickly. High-speed continuous shooting up to 10 FPS complete headline features.

Photographically speaking, the biggest difference between the SLT-A55 and a DSLR is even more important than its feature set. Instead of using a reflex viewfinder, the A55 sports a state-of-the-art EVF with 1.4 million pixels. This viewfinder gives a true Live-View experience with a large exposure-priority view that shows 100% coverage. The EVF itself is sharp enough to show focus normally but it can be magnified to adjust focus with more precision.

The performance of the A55 is very good. Images do show more noise-reduction than desirable but are highly usable with accurate colors, good conservative metering and plenty of details until high sensitivities. The AWB system is certainly the only problematic aspect of this digital camera.

The feature set is clearly aimed at beginners, so this camera is not for everyone but video enthusiasts will not be able to find a more capable filming device other than a dedicated camcorder. Moving up from a fixed-lens digital camera to the Alpha SLT-A55 is also an excellent option, as it offers much improved image quality and performance without losing the exposure-priority display.

Neocamera detailed review Read the full Sony Alpha SLT-A55 review here.