Pentax MX-1 vs Sony A550

On this page, we will be looking at the Pentax MX-1 vs Sony A550, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the MX-1 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the MX-1 (1/1.7") and A550 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

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The MX-1 was launched 3 years after the A550 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the MX-1 grades vs the A550 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax MX-1 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax MX-1 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Pentax MX-1 has exterior measurements of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") along with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs) while the Sony A550 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Pentax MX-1 vs Sony A550 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the MX-1 compared to the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the MX-1 and A550 is 84 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes just by looking at specs. The picture below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the MX-1 and A550.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The MX-1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony A550 will resolve more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The younger MX-1 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.