Sony a55 DSLR Camera with 18-55mm zoom lens

This camara intrigued me enough to switch from Canon. I have only used it for 500 exposures, so I'm still getting use to this camara, but here are my first impressions: 1. I love the Geo tagging (gps info added to the images) As far as I know this is the first DSLR/SLT camara that has this build in - Canon requires a very expensive grip and you still need an external GPS receiver. Nikon has a slightly better solution, but it is still external. 2. The view finder is cool, but I come from a full frame camera which also had a good view finder. 3. The image quality is on par or better with this price range camera. I'm using "EX" sigma lenses not Sony (Also very happy with the lenses) 4. Love the rotating rear display. I shoot some glammour this weekend and all the Canon and Nikon guys where laying on the floor to get low angles, then there where all looking at me when I just fliped the screen to see it from top, held the camara low and started firing away, it was a subject of conversation. 5. Build in image Stabilazation is another great feature to this and other Alpha cameras. I had to spend so much extra money when I had my Canon to get IS featueres, not here. 6. The video was probalbly one of the other things that made me switch. My Canon took outstanding full HD1080p video, but focusing was a big issue as well as video transfere to my Mac, to do it right you had to import it with the Canon software and the export it from there - what a pain. I can work stright with the AVCHD video in Imovie or Final Cut Express (it is only 1080I or 760p) The 760p can be directly imported into aprature (AVCHD is not recognized?) 7. Panorama and HDR fetures are outstanding and blow my Canon away Things that I do not like: 1. Video has very limited time before you have to take a breake or it overheats (9min +/-) - they do not advertise that ;) . So do not think that you can through away your camcorder just yet. There are lot's of discussions about the lack of manual control, it is not a big deal to me. 2. It is not a good studio camara. When I put the camera into manual control and set the settings to work with my studio strobes, I hardly see my model in the viewfinder or display. I have to use low aptreture settings or high ISO to be able to see anything, missing out on details. Now this camera is not advertised as a pro camera and it is a great alaround and travel camera, but I thing this is just a limitation of the SLT technology, since the viewfinder is a mini display and not a glass prism. (I will edit this review, should I find a work around for this) - Edit: Listed in the comments are some discussions in reguards of this point. 3. Tha lack of a grip - I have big hands and this is a compact camera and I love grips even for bigger cameras. All around I thing this is a lot of bang for the buck and has unique features theat easily off set the down sides. I can't wait to see how Sony is going to further develop this and their other Alhpa cameras.

I bought this camera specifically for my trip to Central America. My hope was that the camera would be durable enough to bring it to the beach...I was wrong. I literally was able to bring it to the beach once (trying my best to not expose it to ocean mist or sand) and the next day the camera wouldnt take pictures, only video. Now Sony is telling me that the repairs will cost $450!!!! More than half the cost of the camera! I guess if you are taking pictures of flowers in your garden or in controlled environments where nothing can go wrong, this is a good camera. If your plan is to bring it on an adventure, I would stay away from this camera...it is way to fragile.

I purchased this camera half a year ago, and have made fairly frequent use of it at home and abroad. I chose it for several reasons. I had been using a Sony a300 for a couple of years (until it was broken in an accident), and had used several Sony cameras in succession before as well, so I was familiar with the way Sony cameras work, had lenses that would fit this body, and had good experiences with the quality of the manufacturing. Also, I was impressed with the range of innovative features the camera offers, which seems unmatched in this price range. After reading several very positive reviews, I had high expectations. Fortunately, those expectations have been met. I am very happy with the photos this camera takes. I often utilize the built-in HDR function, and although the resulting photos need a bit of post-production to satisfy me, they are a great starting point for striking photos. The special low-light handheld mode produces surprisingly good results, sometimes yielding usable photos even in very dark environments (not usable for professional purposes, perhaps, but good enough for personal use). Thanks to the HDR and low-light mode, I should have left my tripod at home during my recent trip to Ireland - I never needed to use it. I also really appreciate the on-screen digital level, which helps me keep the horizon truly horizontal when I want it to be (and the cool overlay makes me feel like I'm flying an expensive aircraft at the same time). I have not had big issues with the battery life (which is one of the most common complaints I'd seen when I bought it), but that is probably due in part to the fact that I usually shoot using the small EVF and not the large LCD screen on the back of the camera. I only use the big screen for changing settings or reviewing photos, or for very specific photo setups where it is inconvenient or uncomfortable to use the small EVF. However, the fact that the LCD screen swings out and turns around is priceless when you need it. My one complaint would be that I don't like the placement of some of the buttons and dials. I think the setup of the a300 was somewhat better in this regard. One of the dials is a little uncomfortable for me to reach while shooting without shifting my grip back and forth, and some of the buttons are easy to bump accidentally while shooting in the profile orientation. However, these are minor complaints. If I were purchasing again today, I'd still buy this camera.