The world of photography has been invaded! But by whom? The common people; who else! They are the new dilettante’s roaming around with money in their pockets to buy equipments that they would never understand the significance of. Another pertinent question – who’s complaining? The answer to that is... well no one really is complaining; not even the most serious of photographers, for whom the 35mm of film was the most sacred space invented by anyone. Art, even if it is photography, is everyone’s free space for expressing creativity and sometimes art doesn’t need thought or precision. Sensing this trend, most camera manufacturers began offering entry level DSLRs to encourage dilettante clickers to turn into serious shutterbugs. Sony joins the bandwagon with its range of beginners’ as well as higher end á DSLRs. The Sony á550, at 14.2mp, is a slightly higher end camera, meant for the serious shutterbug.
Design and FunctioningThe Sony A550 shouldn’t be mistaken for a beginner’s first attempt at understanding the world of serious photography. Weighing a solid 597gs, this camera is meant for those who would travel that extra mile only to get the picture they desire. Its three inch LCD screen tilts up or down 90 degrees to capture pictures from too high or too low an angle, say a child's first steps or shoot over a crowd. This camera comes with the Dynamic Range Optimizer, which improves results with backlit subjects and recovers details hidden in shadows. On the other hand, its High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography captures more scene contrast than a single exposure can handle by combining two exposures into one incredible shot. Sony’s Anti-Dust Technology helps keep the CMOS imager clean, resulting in consistently better pictures. Another feature, borrowed from some of Sony’s most impressive CyberShot cameras, is the Smile Shutter technology, which automatically takes the shot every the subject smiles. Also the SteadyShot mode will help make pictures immune to blur, by sensor shift technology rather than just a boost in ISO, which will only result in more noise. This camera is compatible with SD/SDHC as well as MemoryStick Dup/PRO Duo cards.
