Sony W220 vs Sony A55

The following is a extended assessment of the Sony W220 versus Sony A55, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both designed by Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the W220 (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the W220 (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The W220 was revealed 19 months prior to the A55 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony W220 being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the W220 scores vs the A55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 & Sony SLT-A55. The full galleries are provided at Sony W220 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Sony W220 enjoys exterior dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs) and the Sony A55 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony W220 versus Sony A55 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Underneath is the front view dimension comparison of the W220 vs the A55.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the W220 and A55 is 95 and 67 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading technical specs. The pic here will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the W220 and A55.

As you have seen, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The W220 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Sony A55 will offer extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged W220 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.