Sony A550 vs Sony A57

Its time to look closer at the Sony A550 vs Sony A57, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras and both are produced by Sony. The sensor resolution of the A550 (14MP) and the A57 (16MP) is pretty comparable and they come with the exact same sensor sizes (APS-C).

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The A550 was introduced 3 years before the A57 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise summary of how the A550 grades versus the A57 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are provided at Sony A550 Gallery and Sony A57 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Sony A550 comes with physical dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony A57 has proportions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Sony A550 vs Sony A57 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the A550 vs the A57.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the A550 and A57 is 63 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements merely by checking out technical specs. The graphic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the A550 and A57.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same megapixels. You should expect the Sony A57 to provide more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots much more aggressively. The older A550 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.