Sony Alpha SLT-A55V: Conclusions

CONCLUSIONS
There's not much to dislike about Sony's new Alpha a55. Good image quality and color rendition; a quick one-button video interface and 1080i resolution in AVCHD or MP4 formats; and pro-level continuous shooting (and the AF tracking skill to keep things in focus at those high shot rates) all seem like a bargain at the a55's $750 body-only sticker. There's a wide variety of lenses available and the camera body itself is compact and fairly light.

That compact body may pose problems for users with big hands, and the a55 starts up and shoots single shots a bit slower than most DSLRs. Battery life is low by DSLR standards. That's about it for the "wish it could be better" list. If you're already shooting the Sony system the a55 is a worthy addition for the continuous shooting rate alone. If you're considering a Sony the a55 is a most worthy consideration, even as your first DSLR.

Pros:

• Good still image and color quality
• Good video quality, quick AF and one-touch operation
• Pro-level continuous shooting rate

Cons:

• A little slow to power up and single shot-to-shot
• Low battery life

Individual Ratings: *

Image/Video Quality 
Features 
Design/Ease of Use 
Performance 
Expandability 
* Ratings averaged to produce final score