Sony A550 vs Sony RX100 VI

On this page, we are reviewing the Sony A550 and Sony RX100 VI, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both are designed by Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and RX100 VI (20MP) and the A550 (APS-C) and RX100 VI (1") offer totally different sensor size.

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The A550 was released 9 years earlier than the RX100 VI and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX100 VI being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief summation of how the A550 scores versus the RX100 VI in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VI. The complete galleries are provided at Sony A550 Gallery & Sony RX100 VI Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Sony A550 enjoys external dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony RX100 VI has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 43mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.7") and a weight of 301 grams (0.66 lbs).

See the Sony A550 and Sony RX100 VI in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the A550 and the RX100 VI.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A550 and RX100 VI is 63 and 88 respectively.

Sometimes, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing just by reading specs. The photograph below may give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the A550 and RX100 VI.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A550 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony RX100 VI will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The older A550 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.