Sigma DP1s vs Sony A550

In this write-up, we are matching up the Sigma DP1s vs Sony A550, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Sigma and Sony. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the DP1s (5MP) and A550 (14MP) but they possess the same exact sensor dimensions (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The DP1s was manufactured 2 months before the A550 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Sigma DP1s being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the DP1s scores versus the A550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma DP1s and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are provided at Sigma DP1s Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sigma DP1s comes with outside dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sony A550 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Examine the Sigma DP1s vs Sony A550 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view scale comparison of the DP1s against the A550.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the DP1s and A550 is 90 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions purely by checking a spec sheet. The picture below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the DP1s and A550.

As you can see, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You should anticipate the Sony A550 to resolve more detail due to its extra 9 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively.