Sony redefines the DSLR category – a world first in Translucent Mirror Technology (via Pocket Lint)
Keep visiting that post! We will update you with all news previews image samples and more!
1) PRE-ORDERS (coming soon! Click on those links to see when it is available)
Amazon US
BHphoto (still not available…coming soon!)
Amazon Germany
Amazon UK
2) HOT LINKS
Luminous Landscape preview!
First Full A55 review on Imaging-Resource
Sony A55 gets the GOLD AWARD from Dpreview!
3D animation of the cameras on Sony Japan
First Sony translucent cameras promo video (click here)!
First A55 and A33 Flickr group.
Hear the shutter noise (on SonyAlphaRumors)
External microphones for the new Alphas! The ECM-ALST1 and ECM-CG50 (SonyAlphaRumors)
3) PREVIEWS
Photoclubalpha
PhotographyblogSony A580 Hands-On Photos
Photographyblog Sony A55 Hands-On Photos
Engadget
Luminous Landscape preview!
Dpreview Just posted! Sony SLT A55 in-depth review
Digital Camera review Sony alpha a55 First Look
4) TESTS
Letsgodigital Sony A580 preview
Dpreview Sony SLT Alpha A55 Noise and Noise Reduction (JPEG*). “Even at ISO 3200 the A55 is capable of producing very good image quality” and “the A55 offers the best performance in our measured noise tests”
Dpreview RAW files for download!
Dpreview “The Sony Alpha SLT A55 has an extremely capable metering system, which helps enormously to avoid clipped highlights”
5) INTERESTING NOTES
– The 24mm and 85mm lenses will start shipping late September at $1,250 and $250 respectively. The 35mm will be available from mid-October at a price of $200.
– The designation ‘SLT’ stands for single lens translucent
– The A580 will be available from October 2010 and the A560 will arrive early 2011.
– According to Sony the translucent mirror reflects 30% of the light to a large 15-point phase detection AF sensor. You have a 1/3EV reduction in light transmission for the sensor.
– Dpreview: “The EVF in the A55 and A33 is excellent.”
– Imaging Resource: “The Sony Alpha A55V, the version sold in the United States, has one standout feature not present in the A55 and A33: a built-in GPS receiver. This allows both still images and movies to be automatically tagged with information about the location at which they were recorded.”
– Imaging Resource: “Video capture is an area where the Sony A55’s translucent mirror technology makes a huge difference relative to pretty any other SLR currently on the market”
– Luminous Landscape: “And finally, there is eye detect, so that viewing switches between the LCD and the EVF automatically as you raise it to eye level. ” and “There is a Achilles Heel though, which needs to be understood. PDAF (phase detection autofocus) is done with the lens at its widest aperture. This means that if you want to shoot video with PDAF you lens will always be used at its maximum aperture.”
6) IMAGE SAMPLES
Letsgodigital
Imaging Resource
7) VIDEOS
Luminous Landscape Focus Tracking Video!
Digital camera review (click on the link and scroll down): http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/default.asp?newsID=4473
Dpreview Video samples
Sony A55 stabilized by a Steadicam Merlin from NSF-56k on Vimeo.
8 ) PRESS RELEASE (latest added links on top):
Quesbesde (here and here)
ePhotozine
Pocket Lint Sony A33 and A55: The see-through cameras
Sony Japan
Focus Numerique
Noisycamera
ThePhoBlographer Sony Announces New A55, A33, A560 DSLRs, New Lenses
Photographyblog Sony A55 and A33
CNET Asia Sony launches dSLRs with translucent mirrors
Amateur Photographer New Sony Alpha 55 and Alpha 33 EVF DSLRs to feature fixed Translucent Mirror
Digital Camera Review
Dpreview A55 and A33
Dpreview A560 and A580
Dpreview Sony US announces 24mm F2, 35mm F1.8 and 85mm F2.8 lenses
[poll id=”14″]
62 Responses
WHAT??? NICE!!!
Dpreview gold award! Can’t believe this! Sony finally gets it 🙂
Sony has definitely learned from their game-console competitor Nintendo. Instead of competing 3D killer performance with Sony, Nintendo simply make a game console that is fun to play. Instead of direct compete with Canonikon in so call “pro” or traditional DSLR market, Sony gain itself a solid market share with the introduction of NEX, and the trend is gonna to continue as A55/A33 earn such a high grade from Dpreview.
OMG!!! with this kind of price?
No live-view during burst = No good for the A55/33
Im still shocked at the gold rating from DPR, the sky must be falling!
I can’t help but feel that they harped on a bit too much over the 10FPS, when direct competitors shoot at less the 5fps. The only bodies that are better include Canon’s and Nikon’s best (and most expensive) bodies.
I’m glad to hear reports that the build and handling is good, it’s the first and last impression one has when shooting with any camera.
Keen to see more AF testing results done with some better lenses too.
30% light to the AF sensor is 1/2 stop light loss to the imaging sensor, not 1/3 stop.
Stupig. Dpreview and Sony (see Luminous Landscape) dais less than a 1/2 stop!
Whoever saying so is contradicting himself with the “30% goes to AF” statement. log2(0.7)=-0.5EV — 70% light goes to the sensor, which is 0.5 stop below 100% (which is log2(1)=0 EV).
from dpreview:
-AF system not quite up to capturing fast action
-Battery life (approx – CIPA): EVF: 330 images, LCD: 380 images
thumbs down…looks like we might need to change battery more often. 10 fps but with not so good AF, hmm….
Still NO MANUAL CONTROL ? …. a little disappointing = =
I then suggest you sir to wait for the high-end models.
Prepare yourself also at least another $1000.
Looks like the A55 will be one of those cameras you will need to test for your self to see if you like it… im planning on using it for wildlife/landscapes… dont shoot sports like cars/bikes whatever and im alittle worried about the A55 autofocus…
I will need to test the A55 I think. My main concern with the LiveView EVF is its approach to flash/wireless triggered studio shooting.
With the standard Alpha DSLRs, the Quick Focus LiveView is next to useless when shooting with flashes/wireless strobes, since it detects the small aperture and darkens the image on screen in accordance with what you would get if you were shooting those settings in ambient light (a strict approach to WYSIWYG).
Thus where I am shooting with wireless lighting, I use the OVF. In cases where I need to use the LCD screen, I resort to the MF Check LiveView mode, which very helpfully digitally compensates for the “dark conditions” to provide a visible image. The caveat is manual focus only of course.
I really hope the A55 utilises a more intelligent approach to LiveView, especially because there is no non-electronic alternative to viewing the image anymore.
I’m proud of you sony
*Tears*
OMG that was awsome. Im so happy right now! 🙂
better promo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k-0T5aJsfY
AAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa! They sky has fallen! Hell’s frozen! dPreview gave Sony a gold award!
They must have bribed them… yes, now all Canikon fanboys gonna say that it was all thanks to huge donation to dPreview.
also in such speed (Just announced and they get in-depth review + gold award) however they deserved it for new technology breakout with great offer and performance…
OMG!!!! That only I can say right now
So much for all the talk about these cameras being better in IQ and high ISO in comparison to Canikon. I’ve seen nothing so far that backs this up.
dpreview.com side by side comparator reveals the same heavy handed NR approach by Sony on the A55. The 550D and K-x have much more finer detail available and less noise at higher ISO so nothing’s changed. The A560 and A580 might be a tad better than the A33/A55 at high ISO though.
Cool features but it doesn’t really deliver anything new in the IQ and ISO performance area.
I am not too sure about the math behind this..
How many megapixel does K-x has? 12 something?
Maybe we can wait till the “K-5” comes out.
But wait, isn’t that K-5 rumored to share the same sensor with A55?
A55 looks a bit worse than 550D in overall image quality at high ISO in the sample shots. Putting 550D’s NR at high give similar noise appearance but the details are better in 550D. But practically, ISO 3200 photos printed at 4×6 aren’t going to be different enough unless you do an A-B test. I like a light camera body with decent IQ and good VF, A55/33 seems to offer just that.
I think I clicked on the wrong button in the survey… I’m thinking of buying the A33 to replace my EOS550D.
Sony showed us all!, while people been whining they have made revolutionary product’s, and don’t expect it to stop, the high-end category is probably up next, before christmas. The A33 seems like the best camera purchase in the history of photography to me!, never gotten all that for such a nice price.
Great camera, but the European pricing is insane. How on *earth* do they translate US$749 into €850? It should convert to less than $600, and even if you slap taxes on you don’t get anywhere near €850!
still a joke that sony has no lens under 28mm for a normal price except e mount
Just spent the last hour or so with a cuppa going through imaging-resource.com head to head shots with the A33/55 A560 550D and K-x and unfortunately the Sony cameras are still behind the competition.
Anything over ISO 1600 and the K-x and 550D pull ahead comfortably. A bit disappointing that Sony can’t do much in terms of IQ and ISO performance.
Base ISO images seem a tad over sharpened as well with artifacts starting to appear in the samples.
The A560 looks great on paper with HD recording with stereo sound and is feature packed but lacks in terms of IQ which is the most important thing for me.
The K-x still blows me away with its IQ so it will be interesting to see what Pentax can do with their new cameras…
Pre-order available on http://www.warehouseexpress.com in UK £699 with spare battery and 4GB card.
i have to say the sony advertisings are amazing..
compare this to the horrible soccer mum nikon d3100 sample video on the nikon homepage.. : P
Sony A55 has no autofocus in video except when aperture is wide open. I think the NEX is far superior regarding video on this alone.
I have already ordered the a55, will be sad that I have to sell one of my a700 bodies though, but worth it.
Still didn’t understand is for A55 AF any advantages if used f2.8 (f1.4) lenses over f5.6 lenses?
Yesterday firstly tried NEX-5 in local store. Its really tiny! Want try A55. Price extremely reasonable.
Seems the UK is to get the a55v (gps)… very relieved.
Seems the UK is to get the a55v (gps)… very relieved… and sorry for possibly posting twice – but here is the link! http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsi-body/slt-a55v
so guys which one is better?
A55 or A580?
EVF or Pentamirror?
I’m going to buy one this Christmas but I’m confused 🙁
The A580 OVF is the same size as the A550 OVF. No change.
The A55 EVF is significantly larger and brighter, comparable to the A900.
Viewing area of A55: 25,74mm x 17,16mm
Viewing area of A900: 26,57mm x 17,76mm
Well it’s getting rave reviews. Definitely a buy for me in the next year.
The A55 with it’s EVF, the battery life seems to be halved compared with cameras in it’s class.
It’s not enjoyable using a camera if you have to keep watching the battery life.
Does anyone know if it has pixel remapping facility for if one should get a hot pixel problem.
Besides 100% view and better eye relief, another added advantage of LiveView shooting is that you see the true DoF with a bright prime (e.g. 50/1.4). With normal focusing screen one only sees about F/2.8 and narrower.
If you’re not that interested in video the A55 looks to be an amazing camera. The only thing that would concern me is dust.
Hmmm… the continuous thing bugs me. Why should the camera spend up to a minute unresponsive just because it is dumping the buffer? My Nikon D80 will dump the buffer in the background and I can keep on shooting continuous until the buffer refills. It acts completely normally other than a light that is lit to let me know that it is writing an image to the card.
And no 60 fps mode. :-/
true.. true.. maybe a filmware could fix this up..
I’m sure you could keep shutting. You couldn’t see your images before images is on card. It is the same for A900 or any other Sony camera (I suppose Nikon is the same). This is not in camera disadvantage, but “slow” SD and MemoryStick cards with limited write speed. UDMA CF cards in this respect solves many problems.
That’s a great feature packed camera. I would probably get this camera instead of the nex5
Question: Do you think these cameras will have a vertical grip? Cause I’d want longer battery life. If there is, do you think the vertical grip would get in the way of the swivel LCD.
ok, ok, Andrea, I am bloated with the great news & rave reviews! I’m ready already for those new rumors you talked about–rumors about the third leg in the Sony revolution–the upper-end cameras. Whoa!
In the UK, both Jessops (£749 with kitlens) and Warehousexpress (£699 + spare battery and 4GB card) take pre-orders.
SonyStyle US taking preorders.
I will wait for the A77!!!
This will be a ciller cam for the nikon D300 and the Canon Eos 7D.
Can someone tell me what crop factor will have the A55? 🙂
Same crop factor as all other Sony APS-C cameras.
Ok then 1.5 🙂 Thank you 🙂 I read it before and hoped that will be 1.1 from rumor stage but its ok 😉
Not a camera I’d be interested in, but the innovative what-have-you is certainly good for competition. 😀
I’m not sure.. I don’t think I’m gonna buy it but I’m highly interested in it..
Ah, well, I’ll just keep waiting for the A700’s replacement. These (A560/A580) are just consumer level cameras with enough prosumer/pro features to muddy the waters. The PIA factor is that if you’ve bought a lot of compact flash memory it’s useless with these cameras. They make you work with SDHC memory that at present has a maximum 30MB/sec speed while compact flash is available at up to 90 MB/sec. A simple five frame burst produces 90 MB that takes three seconds or better to dump. That can mean you have an inert camera when you need it most. Simply pathetic. And, of course, true to Sony tradition, the batteries will probably be unique and your older batteries will be useless. If I didn’t already have so much A-mount glass, I’d be seriously considering a jump to Nikon.
Im waiting for the A 7xx too. And i hope i will se something on the Photokina in Cologne or i will make a near check to the Canon “Camp”;).
You could sell the glasses ;p
I wonder why they need 50 seconds for the cooldown after the burst. Is it only for dumping buffer, limited by the SDHC speed?
22 seconds to clear the buffer when shooting in RAW according to the imaging-resource review.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/AA55/AA55A6.HTM
I don’t know where DPR got the 50 sec from…
Hmm. Any idea what is this ‘recovery time’? You can’t shoot or you can’t shutdown the camera?
If it’s just shutdown it’s not bad..
regarding the recovery time – I notice that recovery time issue when I use slower CF cards on my camera. However, when I use newer faster cards, I don’t have that issue. So, perhaps it is related to lower SDHC Write Speed.
I can’t find any confirmed information about MLU in a560 and a580. I need this to upgrade my a200. Do anybody know that for sure ?
i don’t know if this has been posted before or not
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_76mq4pX34