Sony A7 vs Sony A550

Let's look more closely at the Sony A7 and Sony A550, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both created by Sony. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the A7 (24MP) and A550 (14MP) and the A7 (Full frame) and A550 (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

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The A7 was unveiled 4 years later than the A550 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony A7 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the A7 scores against the A550 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha A7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The full galleries are provided at Sony A7 Gallery and Sony A550 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and volume. The Sony A7 features outer measurements of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") having a weight of 474 grams (1.04 lbs) and the Sony A550 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A7 and Sony A550 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the A7 and the A550.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the A7 and A550 is 78 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to picture the gap in sensor measurements merely by viewing technical specs. The visual below might offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the A7 and A550.

As you can tell, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A7 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Sony A7 will render more detail having an extra 10MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots more aggressively. The younger A7 should have an edge in sensor innovation.