Sony A550 vs Sony W530

Below is a thorough review of the Sony A550 versus Sony W530, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are designed by Sony. The image resolution of the A550 (14MP) and the W530 (14MP) is fairly well matched but the A550 (APS-C) and W530 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor measurements.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The A550 was released 13 months before the W530 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W530 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the A550 grades versus the W530 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W530. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony W530 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony A550 provides exterior measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony W530 has dimensions of 93mm x 53mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.1" x 0.7") having a weight of 113 grams (0.25 lbs).

Check the Sony A550 versus Sony W530 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the A550 versus the W530.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A550 and W530 is 63 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to see the gap between sensor measurements only by checking a spec sheet. The visual here will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the A550 and W530.

Clearly, both cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor measurements. The A550 contains the larger sensor which is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier. The older A550 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.