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Author Topic: A550 / A500  (Read 1783 times)

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Offline winjeel

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A550 / A500
« on: August 28, 2009, 06:26:07 AM »
DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonydslra550/

From looking over the review at DPReview, it seems the best things about this camera are the grip, access to the +/- button for adjusting the aperture when in Manual mode, and the MF Check Live View function, where you can do fine focus adjustments with high resolution live view.

The only downer for me is the use of SD cards, instead of the CF cards. Does Sony have shares in the SD card patent holding company?

Anything in this review that strikes you as interesting?
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Sony the200, Minolta 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 70-300mm Gregarious, 100mm 2.8 macro.

Offline Noe

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2009, 07:13:17 AM »
The review didn't make the camera seem very appealing thats for sure. It was a bit of a downer review.
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Offline alphaPDX

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2009, 02:42:10 AM »
Just my usual issue with recent Alphas: the cameras are too similar for my preference.  If the 500 had a fixed screen and no 2nd-sensor live view, the stronger OVF and battery life would make things interesting.  Given the similar specs other than screen res & sensor (the primary two differences) it's hard to see why the 500 exists.  Maybe it'll be the low-light champ that many have sought?
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Offline chappo1

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2009, 02:55:12 AM »
Quote from: winjeel on August 28, 2009, 06:26:07 AM
DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonydslra550/

The only downer for me is the use of SD cards, instead of the CF cards. Does Sony have shares in the SD card patent holding company?

I can understand changing storage cards if one type has a huge advantage over the other but this change on a whim stuff is annoying.  If you upgrade your camera or add another body you ought to be able to have your cards interchangeable in my view....john
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Offline winjeel

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2009, 03:51:30 AM »
That's a good point, if you're carrying two bodies.
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JapanesePhotos.Asia; Some basic photographic how to's.
Sony the200, Minolta 28mm 2.8, 50mm 1.4, 70-300mm Gregarious, 100mm 2.8 macro.

Offline winjeel

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2009, 05:21:02 AM »
Quote from: chappo1 on September 01, 2009, 02:55:12 AM
Quote from: winjeel on August 28, 2009, 06:26:07 AM
DPReview: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonydslra550/

The only downer for me is the use of SD cards, instead of the CF cards. Does Sony have shares in the SD card patent holding company?

I can understand changing storage cards if one type has a huge advantage over the other but this change on a whim stuff is annoying.  If you upgrade your camera or add another body you ought to be able to have your cards interchangeable in my view....john

I did a little checking on Wikipedia (it's lunchtime, so I'm allowed ;)  ) The SD card system is Japanese (albeit, first developed by Matsu@~&%a, which is essentially Panasonic), whilst the CF card system is from SanDisk, an American company. Sony is a Japanese company and there's some really serious economic troubles in Japan right now. So, buddies will be buddies and help each other... I assume. Hmm... complete speculation. I'm sure there's a better reason. I can understand with the A230 and A330 and A380, as it'll help encourage point-and-shoot users to move up, but for the A550? There's gotta be a better reason. I wonder what the market penetration of CF is at the moment.

SD Memory cards have just become the most popular, with CF cards now number 2... as of 2004. Hmm... after more googling, nothing. Back to work.
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Offline keith_h

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2009, 07:48:28 AM »
The SD spec is a  joint venture with Matsu, San Disk and Toshiba. SD is smaller, cheaper than CF with similar performance?? I don't see an issue regarding CF since you can buy a lot of SD capacity for not much money. For most people shooting jpg a single 4G card @ about $20-00 may be all that is ever be required.

I think SD is the way of the future really.

« Last Edit: September 01, 2009, 08:10:19 AM by keith_h »
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Offline alphaPDX

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Re: A550 / A500
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2009, 06:18:44 PM »
CF adaptors that hold SD chips are out there.. somewhere.  I've never seen or held one, but web searches show them.  That would certainly ease the transition, assuming no performance hit..



As to the 5-series itself?  I want more features than the A200, among them more iso steps, a long-life shutter and better weather seals.  Some of the 5xx features are a hit (though not the 500's screen :() but overall it sounds like only the 7-series and above will satisfy me.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2009, 06:21:33 PM by alphaPDX »
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Jim R: A200 + Minolta 50:1.7, 35-105, 100-200 + Sigma 17-70, 18-200
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