Nikon P520 vs Sony A550

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Nikon P520 and Sony A550, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Nikon and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the P520 (18MP) and A550 (14MP) and the P520 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The P520 was unveiled 3 years after the A550 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Nikon P520 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a quick summary of how the P520 scores vs the A550 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Nikon Coolpix P520 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are provided at Nikon P520 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Nikon P520 provides external measurements of 125mm x 84mm x 102mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 4.0") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony A550 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Take a look at the Nikon P520 and Sony A550 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the P520 vs the A550.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P520 and A550 is 66 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes purely by researching specifications. The image below should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the P520 and A550.

Plainly, both cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The P520 with its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Nikon P520 will provide you with more detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The more modern P520 will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.