Have been thinking long between the Canon EOS 550 and the Sony SLT-A55 back and forth and then finally decided on the SONY SLT-A55. I regret my decision in any way. The camera has great features and is perfectly suitable to dive in my opinion for beginners in the world of SLR photography. The functions (10 photos / sec or panoramic image) are awesome. Photos are sharp and have an excellent image and color quality. I was a few days ago with my Alpha in Barcelona and have made great shots. Got only positive feedback of my photos - that the recordings are excellent. So only recommended !!! TOP camera :-)