Olympus E-400 vs Sony A550

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-400 and Sony A550, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-400 (10MP) and A550 (14MP) and the E-400 (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-400 was brought out 4 years earlier than the A550 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact SLR).

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-400 matches up against the A550 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-400 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 provides outside measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst 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).

Contrast the Olympus E-400 and Sony A550 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-400 against the A550.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-400 and A550 is 77 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it can be hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing merely by going through technical specs. The photograph here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-400 and A550.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-400 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony A550 will produce more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-400 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.