Sony A550 vs Sony a5100

Below, we will be matching up the Sony A550 versus Sony a5100, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are produced by Sony. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and a5100 (24MP) but they come with the exact same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The A550 was manufactured 5 years earlier than the a5100 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving through a step-by-step comparison, below is a short view of how the A550 grades against the a5100 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are available at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Sony A550 features external dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) and the Sony a5100 has specifications of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Compare the Sony A550 versus Sony a5100 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the A550 and the a5100.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the A550 and a5100 is 63 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions merely by viewing technical specs. The picture underneath will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the A550 and a5100.

As you can tell, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different MP. You should expect the Sony a5100 to provide you with more detail due to its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more aged A550 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.