Sony a5100 vs Sony W550

Below, we are matching up the Sony a5100 versus Sony W550, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Ultracompact and both of them are offered by Sony. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the a5100 (24MP) and W550 (14MP) and the a5100 (APS-C) and W550 (1/2.3") feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The a5100 was revealed 3 years after the W550 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the a5100 scores vs the W550 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha a5100 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The full galleries are provided at Sony a5100 Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry around your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and measurements. The Sony a5100 has got exterior dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") having a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs) while the Sony W550 has proportions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Check the Sony a5100 versus Sony W550 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the a5100 vs the W550.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the a5100 and W550 is 89 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes just by looking through a spec sheet. The image here may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the a5100 and W550.

Clearly, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The a5100 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Sony a5100 will provide you with greater detail because of its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more modern a5100 should have a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.