Pentax I-10 vs Sony A550

Following is a thorough analysis of the Pentax I-10 and Sony A550, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the I-10 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is pretty close but the I-10 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The I-10 was manufactured 2 months after the A550 so they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax I-10 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a short introduction of how the I-10 grades versus the A550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio I-10 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax I-10 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Pentax I-10 has got physical measurements of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") and a weight of 153 grams (0.34 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).

Examine the Pentax I-10 and Sony A550 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the I-10 compared to the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the I-10 and A550 is 93 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizes only by looking through a spec sheet. The pic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the I-10 and A550.

As you can see, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The I-10 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Sony A550 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures much more aggressively.