Sony A550 vs Sony RX1

Let's look more in depth at the Sony A550 vs Sony RX1, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both created by Sony. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the A550 (APS-C) and RX1 (Full frame) offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A550 was launched 4 years prior to the RX1 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the A550 grades vs the RX1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The complete galleries are available at Sony A550 Gallery & Sony RX1 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Sony A550 provides physical dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony RX1 has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") having a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Look at the Sony A550 vs Sony RX1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is a front view proportions comparison of the A550 vs the RX1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A550 and RX1 is 63 and 79 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by researching a spec sheet. The picture here will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the A550 and RX1.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The A550 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Sony RX1 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The more aged A550 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.