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Sony A550 vs Sony TX66

Portability
63
Imaging
54
Features
65
Overall
58
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX66 front
Portability
97
Imaging
42
Features
51
Overall
45

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Key Specs

Sony A550
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Announced December 2009
  • Old Model is Sony A100
Sony TX66
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3.3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 26-130mm (F3.5-4.8) lens
  • 109g - 93 x 54 x 13mm
  • Introduced February 2012
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Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Overview

Let's look a little more closely at the Sony A550 vs Sony TX66, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are manufactured by Sony. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and TX66 (18MP) and the A550 (APS-C) and TX66 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

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The A550 was revealed 3 years before the TX66 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony TX66 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the A550 matches up versus the TX66 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Sony TX66

 A550 TX66 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Reasons to pick Sony TX66 over the Sony A550

 TX66 A550 
IntroducedFebruary 2012December 2009More recent by 27 months
Display size3.3"3"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1230k922kCrisper display (+308k dot)
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Common features in the Sony A550 and Sony TX66

 A550 TX66 
Manual focus Very precise focus
Selfie screen Neither comes with selfie screen

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Sony A550 comes with physical 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) and the Sony TX66 has measurements of 93mm x 54mm x 13mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.5") along with a weight of 109 grams (0.24 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the A550 against the TX66.

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 size comparison

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A550 and TX66 is 63 and 97 respectively.

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 top view buttons comparison

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Sensor Comparison

Quite often, it is difficult to see the difference between sensor measurements just by reading specs. The visual underneath might offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A550 and TX66.

All in all, both of those cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The A550 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field less difficult and the Sony TX66 will offer more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos way more aggressively. The older A550 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 sensor size comparison

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A550 Portrait photography factors
Sony TX66 Portrait photography factors
72
has manual focus
megapixel count good (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports face detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
42
manual focus
resolution is good (18MP)
features face detect autofocus
manual exposure not available
no external flash support
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Sony A550 as a Street photography camera
Sony TX66 as a Street photography camera
74
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
64
built in image stabilization (Optical)
boasts touch to focus
screen is fixed
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sony A550 as a Sports photography camera
Sony TX66 as a Sports photography camera
67
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect autofocus
bad battery pack (480 per charge)
49
built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (18MP)
features tracking focus
better than average battery (250 shots)
no shutter priority
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Sony A550
Travel photography with Sony TX66
52
megapixel count good (14MP)
flash built-in
does not have Timelapse function
bad battery pack (480 CIPA)
display is not selfie friendly
72
better than average battery (250 CIPA)
boasts touch to focus
resolution is good (18MP)
built-in flash
decently wide (26mm)
missing Time Lapse function
display isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Sony A550 Landscape photography information
Sony TX66 Landscape photography information
66
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (14MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
bad battery pack (480 per charge)
does not have Timelapse function
51
manual focus
decently wide (26mm)
screen size is good (3.3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
resolution is good (18MP)
better than average battery (250 CIPA)
cannot swap lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
manual exposure not available
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
missing Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A550 Vlogging highlights
Sony TX66 Vlogging highlights
9
no video
36
decently wide (26mm)
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Optical)
features face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
missing mic support
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Sony A550 vs Sony TX66 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A550 and Sony TX66
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX66
General Information
Company Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX66
Category Entry-Level DSLR Ultracompact
Announced 2009-12-09 2012-02-28
Physical type Compact SLR Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz BIONZ
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.4 x 15.6mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 365.0mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixels 18 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4592 x 3056 4896 x 3672
Maximum native ISO 12800 12800
Min native ISO 200 80
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 9 -
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens focal range - 26-130mm (5.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.5-4.8
Macro focus distance - 1cm
Total lenses 143 -
Crop factor 1.5 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display sizing 3" 3.3"
Display resolution 922k dots 1,230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display technology - XtraFine TruBlack OLED display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.53x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate 7.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 12.00 m 3.10 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync, Rear Slow Sync
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (60, 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 632g (1.39 lbs) 109g (0.24 lbs)
Physical dimensions 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") 93 x 54 x 13mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 66 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.9 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 11.8 not tested
DXO Low light score 807 not tested
Other
Battery life 480 images 250 images
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FM500H NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo, microSD/microSDHC
Card slots 1 1
Price at launch $749 $350