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Sony A850 vs Sony A55

Portability
54
Imaging
68
Features
60
Overall
64
Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 front
 
Sony SLT-A55 front
Portability
67
Imaging
56
Features
80
Overall
65

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Key Specs

Sony A850
(Full Review)
  • 25MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 200 - 3200 (Push to 6400)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 895g - 156 x 117 x 82mm
  • Launched April 2010
Sony A55
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Expand to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Announced August 2010
  • Refreshed by Sony A57
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Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Overview

Here is a detailed assessment of the Sony A850 and Sony A55, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are produced by Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and A55 (16MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and A55 (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

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The A850 was introduced 4 months before the A55 and they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a complete comparison, below is a short summation of how the A850 matches up against the A55 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony A850 over the Sony A55

 A850 A55 
Screen resolution922k921kClearer screen (+1k dot)

Reasons to pick Sony A55 over the Sony A850

 A55 A850 
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Sony A850 and Sony A55

 A850 A55 
AnnouncedApril 2010August 2010Similar generation
Manual focus More precise focus
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen sizing
Touch screen Lack of Touch screen

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to carry your camera, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Sony A850 provides physical measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) and the Sony A55 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Compare the Sony A850 and Sony A55 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the A850 and the A55.

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the A850 and A55 is 54 and 67 respectively.

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 top view buttons comparison

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing just by going over specifications. The visual underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the A850 and A55.

To sum up, the two cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The A850 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony A850 will offer greater detail using its extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a little more aggressively.

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 sensor size comparison

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A850 Portrait photography information
Sony A55 Portrait photography information
72
has manual focus
sensor resolution is excellent (25 megapixels)
great sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
does not have liveview
73
you can focus manually
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports face detect autofocus
saves RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sony A850 as a Street photography camera
Sony A55 as a Street photography camera
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
great sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
weather proofing
screen is fixed
77
fully articulated screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony A850
Sports photography with Sony A55
71
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is excellent (25MP)
great sensor size (Full frame)
weather proofing
supports phase detect auto focus
does not have liveview
continuous shooting slow (3.0 fps)
68
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect autofocus
not so great battery (380 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Sony A850 Travel photography highlights
Sony A55 Travel photography highlights
55
weather proofing
sensor resolution is excellent (25MP)
doesn't have Timelapse function
screen is not selfie friendly
62
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
built-in flash
display is selfie friendly
lack of Timelapse mode
not so great battery (380 per charge)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A850 Landscape photography info
Sony A55 Landscape photography info
73
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is excellent (25 megapixels)
great sensor size (Full frame)
supports RAW formats
weather proofing
has dual storage slots
does not have liveview
doesn't have Timelapse function
67
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor resolution (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
not so great battery (380 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A850 Vlogging features
Sony A55 Vlogging features
9
no video recording
78
display is selfie friendly
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detect autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
comes with microphone jack
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Sony A850 vs Sony A55 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A850 and Sony A55
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850Sony SLT-A55
General Information
Company Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 Sony SLT-A55
Type Advanced DSLR Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2010-04-15 2010-08-24
Body design Mid-size SLR Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Bionz Bionz
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Full frame APS-C
Sensor measurements 35.9 x 24mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 861.6mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 25MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 6048 x 4032 4912 x 3264
Highest native ISO 3200 12800
Highest boosted ISO 6400 25600
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 9 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mount Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony/Minolta Alpha
Total lenses 143 143
Crop factor 1 1.5
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen sizing 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 922 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech TFT Xtra Fine color LCD -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,150 thousand dot
Viewfinder coverage 98% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.73x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/250 secs 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 895g (1.97 lb) 500g (1.10 lb)
Dimensions 156 x 117 x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 79 73
DXO Color Depth score 23.8 23.0
DXO Dynamic range score 12.2 12.4
DXO Low light score 1415 816
Other
Battery life 880 pictures 380 pictures
Battery format Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FM500H NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media Compact Flash (Type I or II), UDMA, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots 2 One
Cost at launch $0 $800