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Sony A550 vs Sony W710

Portability
63
Imaging
54
Features
65
Overall
58
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W710 front
Portability
96
Imaging
40
Features
33
Overall
37

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Key Specs

Sony A550
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 632g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Introduced December 2009
  • Succeeded the Sony A100
Sony W710
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.2-6.5) lens
  • 114g - 97 x 55 x 20mm
  • Introduced January 2013
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Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Overview

Below is a extended analysis of the Sony A550 vs Sony W710, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Sony. The image resolution of the A550 (14MP) and the W710 (16MP) is very comparable but the A550 (APS-C) and W710 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor measurements.

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The A550 was announced 4 years earlier than the W710 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W710 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the A550 matches up against the W710 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Sony A550 over the Sony W710

 A550 W710 
Focus manually More precise focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution922k230kCrisper display (+692k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony W710 over the Sony A550

 W710 A550 
IntroducedJanuary 2013December 2009More recent by 37 months
Touch display Easily navigate

Common features in the Sony A550 and Sony W710

 A550 W710 
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Physical Comparison

If you are looking to lug around your camera often, you should consider its weight and size. The Sony A550 comes with exterior measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony W710 has specifications of 97mm x 55mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") with a weight of 114 grams (0.25 lbs).

See the Sony A550 vs Sony W710 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the A550 and the W710.

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A550 and W710 is 63 and 96 respectively.

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 top view buttons comparison

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements merely by checking out specifications. The visual underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the A550 and W710.

To sum up, both of those cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The A550 with its larger sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Sony W710 will produce more detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older A550 will be behind in sensor tech.

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 sensor size comparison

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A550 Portrait photography highlights
Sony W710 Portrait photography highlights
72
has manual focus
megapixel count decent (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
comes with face detection focusing
delivers RAW files
35
decent MP (16MP)
includes face detect focus
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Street photography with Sony A550
Street photography with Sony W710
74
screen tilts up and down
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
67
image stabilization (Optical)
offers focus via touch
lighter than competition (114 grams)
fixed screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony A550
Sports photography with Sony W710
67
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
not so great battery life (480 shots)
41
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
includes tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony A550 Travel photography highlights
Sony W710 Travel photography highlights
52
megapixel count decent (14MP)
has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse function
not so great battery life (480 shots)
does not have selfie friendly screen
71
lighter than competition (114 grams)
offers focus via touch
decent MP (16 megapixels)
built-in flash
pretty wide (28mm)
does not have Timelapse function
screen is not selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.2)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A550 Landscape photography factors
Sony W710 Landscape photography factors
66
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
not so great battery life (480 shots)
doesn't have Timelapse function
39
pretty wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
manual focus not available
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.2)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
manual exposure not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
does not have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Sony A550
Vlogging with Sony W710
9
no video shooting
34
pretty wide (28mm)
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focus
lighter than competition (114g)
sluggish max aperture (f3.2)
screen is not selfie friendly
video res low (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have microphone socket
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Sony A550 vs Sony W710 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A550 and Sony W710
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W710
General Information
Brand Name Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W710
Class Entry-Level DSLR Small Sensor Compact
Introduced 2009-12-09 2013-01-08
Physical type Compact SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 23.4 x 15.6mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 365.0mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 14 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 4:3 and 16:9
Full resolution 4592 x 3056 4608 x 3456
Max native ISO 12800 3200
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 9 -
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.2-6.5
Macro focusing distance - 10cm
Total lenses 143 -
Focal length multiplier 1.5 5.8
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 922 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Screen tech - TFT LCD display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.53x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30s 2s
Highest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shooting rate 7.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 12.00 m 2.80 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync, Advanced Flash
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1280x720
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 632g (1.39 lbs) 114g (0.25 lbs)
Dimensions 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") 97 x 55 x 20mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 66 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 21.9 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.8 not tested
DXO Low light rating 807 not tested
Other
Battery life 480 shots 240 shots
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-FM500H NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Launch price $749 $90