Samsung HZ15W vs Sony A550

Lets look a little more closely at the Samsung HZ15W and Sony A550, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Samsung and Sony. The resolution of the HZ15W (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very well matched but the HZ15W (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The HZ15W was manufactured 9 months before the A550 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Samsung HZ15W being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting through a complete comparison, below is a concise summary of how the HZ15W grades against the A550 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung HZ15W and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are viewable at Samsung HZ15W Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera often, you have to consider its weight and size. The Samsung HZ15W features external dimensions of 105mm x 61mm x 37mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") having a weight of 249 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Sony A550 has specifications of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Samsung HZ15W and Sony A550 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the HZ15W compared to the A550.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the HZ15W and A550 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Often, its hard to see the gap between sensor sizing simply by reading through specifications. The graphic here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the HZ15W and A550.

Plainly, both of those cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The HZ15W because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony A550 will give more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The older HZ15W is going to be behind in sensor tech.