Sony RX100 III vs Sony A55

Following is a detailed review of the Sony RX100 III versus Sony A55, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are sold by Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the RX100 III (20MP) and A55 (16MP) and the RX100 III (1") and A55 (APS-C) have different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The RX100 III was manufactured 3 years after the A55 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony RX100 III being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the RX100 III scores vs the A55 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III and Sony SLT-A55. The entire galleries are available at Sony RX100 III Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Sony RX100 III offers external measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 290 grams (0.64 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).

Check the Sony RX100 III versus Sony A55 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the RX100 III compared to the A55.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the RX100 III and A55 is 89 and 67 respectively.

Generally, its tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizes simply by going through technical specs. The pic below will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the RX100 III and A55.

As you have seen, both cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The RX100 III featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony RX100 III will provide extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The more recent RX100 III provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.