Sony A550 vs Sony a3500
63 Imaging
52 Features
65 Overall
57
69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58
Sony A550 vs Sony a3500 Key Specs
(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
- Released December 2009
- Succeeded the Sony A100
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Announced March 2014
- Replaced the Sony A3000
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Sony A550 vs Sony a3500 Overview
Following is a thorough review of the Sony A550 vs Sony a3500, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are offered by Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and a3500 (20MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor sizing (APS-C).
Mastering Nature Photography with a Digital Microscope CameraThe A550 was manufactured 5 years prior to the a3500 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick view of how the A550 scores vs the a3500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 & Sony Alpha a3500. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony A550 Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Sony a3500
| A550 | a3500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting display | |
| Display resolution | 922k | 230k | Sharper display (+692k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony a3500 over the Sony A550
| a3500 | A550 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | March 2014 | December 2009 | More modern by 52 months |
Common features in the Sony A550 and Sony a3500
| A550 | a3500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | More exact focusing | |||
| Display dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal display measurement | |
| Selfie screen | Neither comes with selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Missing Touch friendly display |
Sony A550 vs Sony a3500 Physical Comparison
In case you're intending to carry around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Sony A550 comes with 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 a3500 has sizing of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).
Compare the Sony A550 vs Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the A550 against the a3500.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the A550 and a3500 is 63 and 69 respectively.
Sony A550 vs Sony a3500 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it's tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A550 and a3500.
Clearly, the 2 cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same megapixels. You can expect to see the Sony a3500 to provide you with extra detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The more aged A550 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.
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Sony A550 vs Sony a3500 Specifications
| Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 | Sony Alpha a3500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Sony | Sony |
| Model type | Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 | Sony Alpha a3500 |
| Category | Entry-Level DSLR | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
| Released | 2009-12-09 | 2014-03-21 |
| Physical type | Compact SLR | SLR-style mirrorless |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Bionz | BIONZ image |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 23.4 x 15.6mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor surface area | 365.0mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14MP | 20MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Peak resolution | 4592 x 3056 | 5456 x 3632 |
| Highest native ISO | 12800 | 16000 |
| Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW files | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 9 | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Sony/Minolta Alpha | Sony E |
| Number of lenses | 143 | 121 |
| Crop factor | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of screen | 922 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | - | TFT LCD |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.53x | 0.47x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 7.0 frames per second | 4.0 frames per second |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash distance | 12.00 m | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
| Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | 1/160 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 |
| Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | - | AVCHD, H.264 |
| Mic support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 632g (1.39 lbs) | 411g (0.91 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 66 | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 21.9 | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.8 | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | 807 | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 480 images | 470 images |
| Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | NP-FM500H | NP-FW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo | - |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at release | $749 | $398 |