Sony A550 vs Sony WX80

In this article, we will be evaluating the Sony A550 and Sony WX80, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are manufactured by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A550 (14MP) and the WX80 (16MP) is relatively close but the A550 (APS-C) and WX80 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The A550 was manufactured 4 years before the WX80 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 WX80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a brief overview of how the A550 grades versus the WX80 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX80. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony WX80 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Sony A550 provides outside dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony WX80 has specifications of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") and a weight of 124 grams (0.27 lbs).

Look at the Sony A550 and Sony WX80 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the A550 versus the WX80.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the A550 and WX80 is 63 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing just by researching specs. The visual underneath may offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A550 and WX80.

All in all, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The A550 because of its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony WX80 will provide you with more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The older A550 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.