Sony A550 vs Sony a3500

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).

Photography Glossary

The 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.

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.

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.

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.