Sony W290 vs Sony A55

Following is a thorough comparison of the Sony W290 versus Sony A55, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both manufactured by Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the W290 (12MP) and A55 (16MP) and the W290 (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The W290 was released 18 months prior to the A55 making them a generation away from one another. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony W290 being a Compact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the W290 scores vs the A55 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 & Sony SLT-A55. The complete galleries are provided at Sony W290 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Sony W290 has exterior measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Sony A55 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Check the Sony W290 versus Sony A55 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the W290 vs the A55.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the W290 and A55 is 94 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to see the contrast in sensor sizes only by going through specifications. The pic here will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the W290 and A55.

Plainly, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The W290 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A55 will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged W290 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.