Pentax Q10 vs Sony A550

Following is a complete overview of the Pentax Q10 vs Sony A550, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the Q10 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is relatively comparable but the Q10 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The Q10 was unveiled 2 years after the A550 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Pentax Q10 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a more detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the Q10 scores versus the A550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Q10 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are provided at Pentax Q10 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Pentax Q10 comes with outer measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs) while the Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Pentax Q10 vs Sony A550 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the Q10 and the A550.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the Q10 and A550 is 92 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to picture the contrast in sensor sizes only by checking out technical specs. The picture here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the Q10 and A550.

As you have seen, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The Q10 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A550 will produce extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent Q10 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.