Sony RX100 vs Sony W550

Below is a extended overview of the Sony RX100 and Sony W550, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Ultracompact and they are both sold by Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the RX100 (20MP) and W550 (14MP) and the RX100 (1") and W550 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The RX100 was introduced 14 months later than the W550 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summation of how the RX100 grades versus the W550 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony RX100 Gallery and Sony W550 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Sony RX100 offers physical measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") having a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs) and the Sony W550 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

Contrast the Sony RX100 and Sony W550 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the RX100 vs the W550.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the RX100 and W550 is 91 and 96 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements purely by viewing specifications. The photograph below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the RX100 and W550.

To sum up, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The RX100 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Sony RX100 will result in more detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The more recent RX100 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.