Nikon Z5 vs Sony A550

Its time to look more in depth at the Nikon Z5 and Sony A550, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Nikon and Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the sensor resolutions of the Z5 (24MP) and A550 (14MP) and the Z5 (Full frame) and A550 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The Z5 was launched 10 years later than the A550 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Nikon Z5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the Z5 matches up versus the A550 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Nikon Z5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The complete galleries are provided at Nikon Z5 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Nikon Z5 features outer dimensions of 134mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.3" x 4.0" x 2.8") having a weight of 675 grams (1.49 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Nikon Z5 and Sony A550 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the Z5 and the A550.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the Z5 and A550 is 62 and 63 respectively.

Typically, its tough to envision the gap in sensor sizing only by going through a spec sheet. The visual below might give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the Z5 and A550.

As you can see, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The Z5 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Nikon Z5 will provide extra detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more modern Z5 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.