Panasonic S1H vs Sony A550

On this page, we will be evaluating the Panasonic S1H and Sony A550, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Panasonic and Sony. There is a sizeable difference between the sensor resolutions of the S1H (24MP) and A550 (14MP) and the S1H (Full frame) and A550 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The S1H was released 9 years after the A550 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S1H being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the S1H grades against the A550 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Panasonic Lumix DC-S1H and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The complete galleries are viewable at Panasonic S1H Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S1H provides physical dimensions of 151mm x 114mm x 110mm (5.9" x 4.5" x 4.3") accompanied by a weight of 1052 grams (2.32 lbs) while the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Panasonic S1H and Sony A550 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the S1H compared to the A550.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the S1H and A550 is 52 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizes only by checking a spec sheet. The image underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the S1H and A550.

As you can see, the 2 cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The S1H featuring a bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Panasonic S1H will give you more detail as a result of its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The fresher S1H should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.