Pentax RZ18 vs Sony W550
92 Imaging
38 Features
37 Overall
37
96 Imaging
37 Features
28 Overall
33
Pentax RZ18 vs Sony W550 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-450mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
- 178g - 97 x 61 x 33mm
- Revealed September 2011
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 26-104mm (F2.7-5.7) lens
- 110g - 94 x 56 x 19mm
- Launched July 2011
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Below, we will be evaluating the Pentax RZ18 versus Sony W550, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the RZ18 (16MP) and the W550 (14MP) is pretty comparable and they enjoy the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe RZ18 was manufactured 2 months later than the W550 which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.
Before diving through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the RZ18 grades versus the W550 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio RZ18 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax RZ18 Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax RZ18 over the Sony W550
| RZ18 | W550 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very precise focusing | |||
| Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Clearer screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony W550 over the Pentax RZ18
| W550 | RZ18 |
|---|
Common features in the Pentax RZ18 and Sony W550
| RZ18 | W550 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | September 2011 | July 2011 | Same age | |
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Screen dimension | 3" | 3" | Identical screen sizing | |
| Selfie screen | Neither comes with selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | Neither comes with Touch friendly screen |
Pentax RZ18 vs Sony W550 Physical Comparison
If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax RZ18 comes with physical dimensions of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) and the Sony W550 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).
Contrast the Pentax RZ18 versus Sony W550 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the RZ18 compared to the W550.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the RZ18 and W550 is 92 and 96 respectively.
Pentax RZ18 vs Sony W550 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, its hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through specs. The graphic below will give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the RZ18 and W550.
As you can plainly see, each of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Pentax RZ18 to show more detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively.
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Pentax RZ18 vs Sony W550 Specifications
| Pentax Optio RZ18 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Pentax | Sony |
| Model type | Pentax Optio RZ18 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 |
| Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Ultracompact |
| Revealed | 2011-09-12 | 2011-07-24 |
| Body design | Compact | Ultracompact |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | - | BIONZ |
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
| Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
| Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 14MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
| Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4320 x 3240 |
| Maximum native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
| Min native ISO | 80 | 80 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| Single AF | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 9 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | fixed lens | fixed lens |
| Lens zoom range | 25-450mm (18.0x) | 26-104mm (4.0x) |
| Max aperture | f/3.5-5.9 | f/2.7-5.7 |
| Macro focusing distance | 4cm | 5cm |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.9 | 5.8 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 3" | 3" |
| Screen resolution | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Screen tech | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating | Clear Photo LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | None | None |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 4s | 2s |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/1600s |
| Continuous shooting speed | 1.0fps | 1.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 2.80 m | 3.80 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1280x720 |
| Video data format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4 |
| Microphone input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 178 gr (0.39 lb) | 110 gr (0.24 lb) |
| Dimensions | 97 x 61 x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") | 94 x 56 x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery ID | D-LI92 | NP-BN1 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
| Storage slots | One | - |
| Launch cost | $210 | $119 |