Appealing to photographers ready to explore sophisticated new creative possibilities, the Sony DSLR- α55 (A580 in Europe) offers unparalleled levels of imaging refinement. At the heart of Sony α55 DSLR is a new-generation Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor processor. Together with the latest iteration of Sony’s powerful BIONZ imaging processor, it supports high-speed continuous shooting plus a sophisticated range of digital image compositing and processing functions. The Sony α55 (A580) can freeze fleeting photo opportunities at up to 7 fps in Speed Priority Continuous Advance mode. As an additional refinement, new Focus Check Live View mode simplifies critical assessment of the finest image details. A real-time ‘feed’ from the main sensor can be viewed on the LCD monitor, with switchable magnification allowing close-up confirmation of delicate manual focus adjustments. Contrast AF method is selectable in focus check Live View mode.
Articulating up or down for comfortable framing in any shooting position, the bright 7.5 cm (3.0″) Xtra Fine LCD offers a bright, high contrast view with superb detail and colours. The DSLR-α55 (A580) is compatible with the full α range of over 30 A-mount interchangeable lenses of Sony and Carl Zeiss and offer SteadyShot INSIDE. This in-body sensor shift image stabilization system provides up to 4 exposure steps of anti-shake correction when shooting handheld.
The DSLR-α55 (A580) offers Full HD video shooting. Just touch the dedicated Movie button and record detail-packed HD videos and crisp stereo sound in a choice of AVCHD 1080i or web-friendly MP4 formats. Thanks to the large, high-resolution Exmor APS HD CMOS Sensor, it’s possible to capture stunning HD movie clips with beautiful background defocus (‘bokeh’) effects.
DSLR enthusiasts will also welcome the bright, high contrast optical viewfinder with 95% frame coverage that provides a supremely detailed view while composing still images. Depth of field preview is now available at the touch of a button. The camera feature 3D Sweep Panorama, allowing photographers to capture detail-packed extra-wide panoramas with a huge field of view. 3D panoramas can be enjoyed on any compatible 3D HD television. The new Sony camera accepts both Memory Stick PRO Duo (including Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo) and SD (including both SDHC and SDXC formats) media. Sony DSLR- α55 (A580 in Europe) will be available in Japan next month for approximately 90,000 yen ($1055) body and 95,000 yen ($1117) for standard zoom kit.
