Sony A550 vs Sony RX10 II

Below, we will be reviewing the Sony A550 versus Sony RX10 II, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom and both of them are manufactured by Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and RX10 II (20MP) and the A550 (APS-C) and RX10 II (1") come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A550 was released 6 years before the RX10 II which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX10 II being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the A550 scores vs the RX10 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 II. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony RX10 II Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Sony A550 enjoys outer dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony RX10 II has specifications of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") and a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Sony A550 versus Sony RX10 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the A550 vs the RX10 II.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A550 and RX10 II is 63 and 58 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to picture the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by seeing specifications. The picture below might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A550 and RX10 II.

Plainly, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The A550 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Sony RX10 II will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged A550 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.