Sony A550 vs Sony W800

Lets examine more in depth at the Sony A550 vs Sony W800, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both offered by Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the A550 (14MP) and W800 (20MP) and the A550 (APS-C) and W800 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A550 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the W800 which is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W800 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the A550 scores vs the W800 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. The full galleries are viewable at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony W800 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Sony A550 offers outside measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony W800 has sizing of 97mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Analyze the Sony A550 vs Sony W800 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the A550 against the W800.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the A550 and W800 is 63 and 96 respectively.

Often, it is hard to see the gap in sensor dimensions purely by checking out a spec sheet. The picture below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A550 and W800.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The A550 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony W800 will provide greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The more aged A550 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.