Ricoh CX1 vs Sony A550

Its time to look more closely at the Ricoh CX1 versus Sony A550, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Ricoh and Sony. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the CX1 (9MP) and A550 (14MP) and the CX1 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

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The CX1 was brought out 9 months earlier than the A550 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Ricoh CX1 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple view of how the CX1 scores against the A550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Ricoh CX1 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are available at Ricoh CX1 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Ricoh CX1 offers physical dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 180 grams (0.40 lbs) while the Sony A550 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check out the Ricoh CX1 versus Sony A550 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the CX1 and the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the CX1 and A550 is 93 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to imagine the contrast between sensor measurements simply by going over specifications. The visual underneath might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the CX1 and A550.

To sum up, both cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The CX1 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A550 will deliver extra detail having its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older CX1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.