The entry-level SLR also has an ultra-high tolerance Sony A550 evaluation.

With the continuous enrichment of digital SLR camera products, the positioning of products is becoming more and more subdivided and accurate. High-end entry was born under such circumstances. Because they are not out of the entry-level framework in terms of function and performance, especially in terms of maneuverability, they are better than most entry-level cameras in some functions and performance, so they are subdivided? High-end entry such a positioning. So,

"? Whose high-end entry?

"IT 168 evaluation center

Sony digital SLR, as a special group with a historical accumulation and a brand-new look, broke out in 2009, and the newly released A230/A330 and A500/A550 accurately met all levels of digital SLR camera users. A550, a high-end entry-level product, is undoubtedly a tailor-made product for new SLR users who have a small purchase budget but urgently need advanced photography.

The introduction of A550 lies in the affinity of the whole fuselage system, which is mainly composed of object-oriented shooting mode setting and annotated graphic menu system. Its high-end lies in the hardware configuration of the whole system and a more perfect control system than ordinary entry SLR cameras. In addition to the high pixel of 654.38+04.2 million, A550 also provides a 3-inch, 920,000-dot high-resolution display screen, and supports a continuous shooting speed of up to 5 frames per second. In addition, there are some important features that make A550? High-end entry title:

"Automatic HDR function:

By taking two photos at the same time, a high dynamic range photo is synthesized, which solves the problem that it is difficult for general digital cameras to capture rich details in scenes with high light ratio.

"Anti-shake function of fuselage:

Sony A550 fuselage built-in anti-shake system, so that all the lenses installed on the fuselage can keep the picture as stable as possible when shooting.

Sony A550 (

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"Fast autofocus live view mode:

The A550 can view the scene in real time on the high-resolution display screen, and at the same time, it can quickly autofocus or carefully check the manual focusing status. With this mode, you can take photos as easily as with a card camera.

"Face detection and smiling face shutter:

Intelligent portrait shooting function allows you to easily capture beautiful faces without knowing professional photography technology.

"Foldable screen:

The high-resolution, foldable screen brings more convenient and delicate framing and viewing experience. "The affinity and professionalism of the fuselage design.

Sony A550 (

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Sony A550 only has one parameter dial? Typical entry-level model features (

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"Eye activation focusing system.

(Learn more.

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Sony A550 supports memory sticks and SD memory card types (

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Sony A550 folding screen has a rotational freedom of about 2 10 degrees, which is suitable for shooting at special angles (

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Sony A550 intuitive graphical menu interface

Although there is only one parameter wheel, Sony A550 has more special function buttons to control the driving mode and sensitivity function keys, so the control efficiency is higher than that of ordinary entry-level SLR cameras. At the same time, Fn buttons and menus provide convenience for beginners to set parameters more intuitively on the display screen. The eye movement autofocus system provides great convenience for quick focusing response, so that the camera can be ready to shoot at any time. The high resolution and folding of the display screen are great advantages, but it seems that the color is too bright. On the display screen, it seems that the photos are not rich enough and the colors tend to be slightly red.

"You don't have to change your shooting habits.

Many beginners are used to watching the scene from the display screen and then shooting by pressing the shutter? This is developed in consumer cameras. If you switch to a SLR camera, some people will not be used to taking pictures with an optical viewfinder, although that has many advantages. But the fast AF live view mode allows beginners not to change their shooting habits. The A550 can view the scene in real time on the high-resolution display screen, and at the same time, it can quickly autofocus or carefully check the manual focusing status. With this mode, you can take photos as easily as with a card camera.

Sony A550 viewfinder mode switch (

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Sony A550 supports zoom in to confirm focus.

The A550 even provides an intelligent zoom button, which can zoom by cutting the picture. It is similar to the digital zoom function of consumer digital cameras. Although it is not interesting to say, it can at least really meet the usage habits of many beginners. Moreover, it is acceptable to cut out the photos for such a high pixel model. In the live view state, A550 will not interrupt the view, but focus automatically, with very fast response, unlike those models that focus by detecting the contrast of the picture (most models of Canon and Nikon).

"Super high tolerance.

Sony's digital cameras have always attached great importance to the dynamic range optimization (DRO) function. In addition to supporting various levels of DRO, the new A550 also provides a high dynamic range (HDR) synthesis mode.

Dynamic range optimization function of Sony A550

High dynamic range synthesis function of Sony A550

A550 synthesizes high dynamic range photos by taking two photos at the same time, which solves the problem that it is difficult for general digital cameras to capture rich details in scenes with high light ratio. The actual effect can reach an extension of about 3EV. The following is the comparison effect:

Normal mode shooting

Dynamic range optimization effect

High dynamic range synthesis effect

"Picture detail expressiveness test

Ultra-high pixel is a selling point of Sony A550 and a popular concept of new SLR cameras. Simply put, a higher number of pixels can theoretically represent richer image details. This can be verified by resolution test. However, from the test results of A550 with a standard lens of 50mm f/ 1.4, the picture resolution around 2000LW/PH is not high, which means that the advantages of high pixels are not obvious compared with more professional models.

Imaging Horizontal Resolution of Sony A550

Imaging vertical resolution of Sony A550

"Imaging color test.

When analyzing and testing the imaging color of the prototype, we use it to shoot the X-rite ColorChecker SG color test target at the sensitivity of ISO 100, and then analyze the color, and we can get the data such as imaging color error and white balance error. The value of the white balance error in the list is the color temperature error of the medium gray block, and the closer this value is to zero, the better. If this value is positive, it means that the imaging tone is cold, and if it is negative, it is the opposite. In the color error diagram, the squares in the Lab color gamut coordinates represent the ideal color (standard color) of the subject, and the circles represent the imaging color of the camera under test.

Imaging Color Temperature Error of Sony A550 Auto White Balance Mode

Imaging color error in Sony A550 standard creative style

In the automatic white balance mode, when Sony A550 shoots an object under a common artificial light source, the picture color will obviously tend to be warmer (reddish); Under the standard style, the color saturation is very high, and the warm tone is particularly strong.

"Imaging sensitivity and noise.

Sony A550 supports ISO 12800 with the highest sensitivity and ISO 200 with the lowest sensitivity. Basically, judging from the image quality below ISO 800, A550 performs fairly well, with delicate pictures and vivid colors. O 1600-3200 can also be accepted in special occasions. When shooting at higher sensitivity, the details and color fidelity of the photos are obviously reduced. The following are photos taken by A550 at different sensitivities:

"Test sample (1)

A variety of creative styles enhance the picture expression of Sony A550. In the standard mode, except for warm colors, the overall picture of A550 is natural and lifelike, and the level of color change can be shown in detail. However, judging from the photos taken with standard lens, the definition of the picture is not high under the standard image setting. The following are samples taken by A550 with 50mm f/ 1.4 standard lens, which are stored as JPG with the highest quality and the largest size:

"Test sample (2)

A variety of creative styles enhance the picture expression of Sony A550. In the standard mode, except for warm colors, the overall picture of A550 is natural and lifelike, and the level of color change can be shown in detail. However, judging from the photos taken with standard lens, the definition of the picture is not high under the standard image setting. The following are samples taken by A550 with 50mm f/ 1.4 standard lens, which are stored as JPG with the highest quality and the largest size:

"IT 168 assessment center view:

Obviously, if you can't stand the photos taken by a small camera with insufficient layering and distorted details, then a digital SLR camera with imaging performance is a good choice. But those high-end models may cost too much and need more professional training to use. For most users who are keen on photography, A550 is undoubtedly a good choice. It can not only meet the needs of simple photography, but also be widely used in various creative applications.

Sony A550 (

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Compared with Canon and Nikon products, the configuration advantages of Sony A550 lie in the configuration of eye-start focusing system and high-resolution screen. In terms of function, the real scene system is very powerful, and the function of automatic synthesis with high dynamic range is also very easy to use. In terms of performance, the A550' s overall response speed such as focusing and shooting is also relatively fast, but in terms of imaging performance, warmer colors are a small shortcoming.

"statement:

The evaluation content of this paper is based on the engineering sample (product number: 2930004) provided by Sony's product public relations company. Our evaluation conclusion is only responsible for the individual who sent the sample, and there is no guarantee that the individual can represent the overall level of the products on the market.