Yesterday I shared a comparison between my Sony Alpha 550 and a Sony Alpha 33.  I received some really interesting feedback on Google+…

…recently got the A33 and has been loving it. It’s small for an SLR, takes great pictures in almost any light conditions, and is very affordable.  The digital viewfinder may be strange to a camera pro at first, but it does have one advantage – you can use it to review pictures, even when the lighting conditions would preclude using the LCD.

You might consider the A35 if you are going that route. It’s the replacement for the A33, and the sensor is almost identical to the A55′s… You’ll be getting better lighting capabilities than the A33. I haven’t compared the prices of the A35 and A55. By going from the A550 to A33, you will lose some of your “easy access” buttons. You’ll just have to search for them in the menu. I had the A580 for a while and really liked it over the A330 that I had prior to it.
One thing the SLT’s have yet to fix is their issue with off camera strobes. Unless you’re using Sony’s very expensive off camera system, the camera won’t give you a good preview. In fact, if your only source of light is off camera strobes, you won’t even be able to focus. The only work-around at the moment is to use the pop-up flash to focus, then turn it off and use your wireless system. Hopefully they have a fix for this with the soon coming A77…

I’ve been waiting (a long time) to upgrade from my A350 to the A77:http://sonya77.com/sony-a77-announcement-date-is-august-23rd/ It will cost a few hundred more, but has the feature set I want in a camera I might be using for the next 3-4 years.

Now I’m curious about the Sony Alpha 35!  But first things first…

Sony Alpha 550 vs Sony Alpha 55

 
So that’s it.  I’m not convinced that I need to give up my Alpha 550 for an A55, but I am excited about the upcoming Sony Alpha 35 and the rumored Alpha A77. 

A reason to consider a Sony Alpha is that it’s a fantastic camera for the price.  One thing that attracted me to the Alpha 550 was the easily accessible controls (I can adjust my settings quickly, on the fly) and how easy it is to figure things out.  One of my favorite images taken with the Sony Alpha 550 is from the 2011 Tulip Festival.  This image is straight out of the camera…

And remember, it’s not the camera or the lens (or my snazzy camera bag), it’s the photographer.  It’s the photographer who learning his/her camera and how to best leverage his/her gear. 

Coming soon will be my review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens.

Happy Shooting!

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