Samsung TL100 vs Sony A550

Below is a detailed overview of the Samsung TL100 and Sony A550, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Samsung and Sony. The resolution of the TL100 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is very comparable but the TL100 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The TL100 was revealed 11 months prior to the A550 and they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Samsung TL100 being a Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick summary of how the TL100 scores against the A550 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung TL100 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are viewable at Samsung TL100 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Samsung TL100 enjoys outside measurements of 105mm x 61mm x 37mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.5") having a weight of 219 grams (0.48 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has proportions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Look at the Samsung TL100 and Sony A550 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the TL100 and the A550.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the TL100 and A550 is 91 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through specifications. The visual underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the TL100 and A550.

To sum up, both of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The TL100 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony A550 will produce more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older TL100 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.