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Canon A490 vs Sony H55

Portability
93
Imaging
33
Features
10
Overall
23
Canon PowerShot A490 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 front
Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
28
Overall
32

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Key Specs

Canon A490
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
  • 175g - 94 x 62 x 31mm
  • Released January 2010
Sony H55
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 200g - 103 x 58 x 29mm
  • Released June 2010
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Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Overview

Below, we will be matching up the Canon A490 and Sony H55, both Small Sensor Compact digital cameras by companies Canon and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the A490 (10MP) and H55 (14MP) but they enjoy the exact same sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The A490 was unveiled 5 months earlier than the H55 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Compact).

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the A490 matches up versus the H55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Canon A490 over the Sony H55

 A490 H55 

Reasons to pick Sony H55 over the Canon A490

 H55 A490 
Screen dimension3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution230k115kClearer screen (+115k dot)

Common features in the Canon A490 and Sony H55

 A490 H55 
ReleasedJanuary 2010June 2010Similar age
Manual focus No manual focusing
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch screen Neither provides Touch screen

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and proportions. The Canon A490 provides outer dimensions of 94mm x 62mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 175 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Sony H55 has measurements of 103mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Take a look at the Canon A490 and Sony H55 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using during that time. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the A490 vs the H55.

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A490 and H55 is 93 and 92 respectively.

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 top view buttons comparison

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is very difficult to envision the difference between sensor measurements simply by checking specifications. The graphic here should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the A490 and H55.

Plainly, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You can count on the Sony H55 to resolve extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will let you crop shots somewhat more aggressively.

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 sensor size comparison

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Screen and ViewFinder

Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Canon A490 Portrait photography information
Sony H55 Portrait photography information
19
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
low MP (10MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
28
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
lack of manual focus
manual mode not possible
can't use external flash
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Canon A490 Street photography highlights
Sony H55 Street photography highlights
46
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
56
image stabilization (Optical)
screen does not articulate
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Canon A490 Sports photography features
Sony H55 Sports photography features
16
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
does not have image stabilization
low MP (10 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
38
image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
no shutter priority
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Canon A490
Travel photography with Sony H55
50
has built in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
low MP (10 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (37mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
66
megapixel count decent (14MP)
has built in flash
rather wide (25mm)
great zoom (250mm)
does not have Timelapse function
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Canon A490 Landscape photography information
Sony H55 Landscape photography information
22
focusing manually not possible
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not great (37mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
screen is small (2.5 inch)
manual exposure not possible
does not have image stabilization
low MP (10 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse mode
41
rather wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
lack of manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
manual mode not possible
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
does not have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Canon A490 Vlogging advice
Sony H55 Vlogging advice
21
wide angle not great (37mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.0)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
video resolution low (640 x 480 pxls)
doesn't have external mic port
28
rather wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have microphone port
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Canon A490 vs Sony H55 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Canon A490 and Sony H55
 Canon PowerShot A490Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55
General Information
Brand Name Canon Sony
Model Canon PowerShot A490 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55
Class Small Sensor Compact Small Sensor Compact
Released 2010-01-05 2010-06-16
Body design Compact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 4320 x 3240
Highest native ISO 1600 3200
Min native ISO 80 80
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 5 9
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 37-122mm (3.3x) 25-250mm (10.0x)
Maximal aperture f/3.0-5.8 f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus range 1cm 5cm
Focal length multiplier 5.8 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 2.5 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 115k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Lowest shutter speed 15 secs 30 secs
Highest shutter speed 1/2000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shooting speed 1.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 3.00 m 3.80 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, On, Slow Syncro, Off
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution 640x480 1280x720
Video format Motion JPEG MPEG-4
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 175g (0.39 lbs) 200g (0.44 lbs)
Dimensions 94 x 62 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") 103 x 58 x 29mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery model 2 x AA NP-BG1
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom, Face) Yes (2 or 10 sec, portrait1/ portrait2)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/HC MMCplus Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo/ PRO HG-Duo, SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Launch cost $99 $235