Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony W550

Below is a in-depth overview of the Sigma SD1 Merrill versus Sony W550, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact by manufacturers Sigma and Sony. The sensor resolution of the SD1 Merrill (15MP) and the W550 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the SD1 Merrill (APS-C) and W550 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizing.

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The SD1 Merrill was manufactured 9 months later than the W550 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a concise summary of how the SD1 Merrill grades against the W550 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Sigma SD1 Merrill & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The entire galleries are available at Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Sigma SD1 Merrill enjoys outer dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") along with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs) whilst the Sony W550 has measurements of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Examine the Sigma SD1 Merrill versus Sony W550 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the SD1 Merrill vs the W550.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SD1 Merrill and W550 is 57 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SD1 Merrill and W550.

Clearly, each of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SD1 Merrill because of its bigger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will give you more detail due to its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The younger SD1 Merrill is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.