Panasonic LX100 II vs Sony A550

Following is a in-depth comparison of the Panasonic LX100 II vs Sony A550, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Panasonic and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the LX100 II (17MP) and A550 (14MP) and the LX100 II (Four Thirds) and A550 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The LX100 II was introduced 8 years after the A550 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic LX100 II being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the LX100 II grades against the A550 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic LX100 II Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera, you need to factor its weight and proportions. The Panasonic LX100 II has got outside dimensions of 115mm x 66mm x 64mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 2.5") along with a weight of 392 grams (0.86 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Look at the Panasonic LX100 II vs Sony A550 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the LX100 II vs the A550.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the LX100 II and A550 is 81 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to see the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading specs. The image below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the LX100 II and A550.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The LX100 II having a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Panasonic LX100 II will deliver extra detail using its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more modern LX100 II is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.