Sony A550 vs Sony W730

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Sony A550 and Sony W730, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Sony. The resolution of the A550 (14MP) and the W730 (16MP) is very close but the A550 (APS-C) and W730 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The A550 was brought out 4 years prior to the W730 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W730 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the A550 matches up vs the W730 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W730. The entire galleries are available at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony W730 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Sony A550 offers outer dimensions 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 W730 has specifications of 93mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.9") and a weight of 122 grams (0.27 lbs).

Look at the Sony A550 and Sony W730 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the A550 versus the W730.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the A550 and W730 is 63 and 96 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through specs. The photograph underneath should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A550 and W730.

All in all, each of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A550 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony W730 will provide you with greater detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos far more aggressively. The older A550 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.