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Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6

Portability
63
Imaging
54
Features
65
Overall
58
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 front
 
Sony Alpha NEX-6 front
Portability
85
Imaging
57
Features
76
Overall
64

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Key Specs

Sony A550
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Announced December 2009
  • Old Model is Sony A100
Sony NEX-6
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 345g - 120 x 67 x 43mm
  • Released March 2013
  • Later Model is Sony A6000
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Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Overview

Its time to look more closely at the Sony A550 versus Sony NEX-6, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both are produced by Sony. The image resolution of the A550 (14MP) and the NEX-6 (16MP) is relatively well matched and both cameras have the same sensor size (APS-C).

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The A550 was revealed 4 years before the NEX-6 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the A550 scores versus the NEX-6 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Sony NEX-6

 A550 NEX-6 
Screen resolution922k921kSharper screen (+1k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony NEX-6 over the Sony A550

 NEX-6 A550 
ReleasedMarch 2013December 2009Newer by 40 months

Common features in the Sony A550 and Sony NEX-6

 A550 NEX-6 
Focus manually Dial accurate focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen size
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Absent Touch friendly screen

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Sony A550 has exterior measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony NEX-6 has proportions of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 345 grams (0.76 lbs).

See the Sony A550 versus Sony NEX-6 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the A550 versus the NEX-6.

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability score of the A550 and NEX-6 is 63 and 85 respectively.

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 top view buttons comparison

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is very hard to picture the contrast between sensor dimensions just by checking a spec sheet. The image below will offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the A550 and NEX-6.

Clearly, both the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You can count on the Sony NEX-6 to give extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged A550 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 sensor size comparison

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A550 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony NEX-6 as a Portrait photography camera
72
manual focus
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
comes with face detection focusing
supports RAW formats
74
focusing manually
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
comes with face detect focus
supports RAW files
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Street photography with Sony A550
Street photography with Sony NEX-6
74
screen tilts
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
78
has a tilting screen
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
lighter than others (345g)
very good ISO range (25,600)
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sony A550 Sports photography features
Sony NEX-6 Sports photography features
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (14 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports phase detect AF
bad battery pack (480 per charge)
66
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
does not have image stabilization
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Travel Comparison

Sony A550 as a Travel photography camera
Sony NEX-6 as a Travel photography camera
52
resolution is good (14MP)
has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
bad battery pack (480 per charge)
display is not selfie friendly
75
lighter than others (345 grams)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A550 Landscape photography factors
Sony NEX-6 Landscape photography factors
66
manual focus
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
resolution is good (14MP)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
bad battery pack (480 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
75
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
very good ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A550 Vlogging features
Sony NEX-6 Vlogging features
9
no video
32
comes with face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than others (345g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
does not have image stabilization
does not have mic port
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Sony A550 vs Sony NEX-6 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A550 and Sony NEX-6
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550Sony Alpha NEX-6
General Information
Brand Name Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony Alpha NEX-6
Type Entry-Level DSLR Advanced Mirrorless
Announced 2009-12-09 2013-03-25
Body design Compact SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Bionz Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor dimensions 23.4 x 15.6mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 365.0mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4592 x 3056 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 12800 25600
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 9 99
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony E
Available lenses 143 121
Crop factor 1.5 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 922k dot 921k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen technology - Xtra Fine LCD with Tilt Up 90� and Down 45�
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359k dot
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.53x 0.73x
Features
Min shutter speed 30s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed 7.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 12.00 m 6.00 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash sync 1/160s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 632g (1.39 lb) 345g (0.76 lb)
Physical dimensions 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") 120 x 67 x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 66 78
DXO Color Depth score 21.9 23.7
DXO Dynamic range score 11.8 13.1
DXO Low light score 807 1018
Other
Battery life 480 photos 360 photos
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FM500H NPFW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10sec (3 images))
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 1 1
Launch price $749 $365