Sony W380 vs Sony A55

Below is a extended overview of the Sony W380 vs Sony A55, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both sold by Sony. The image resolution of the W380 (14MP) and the A55 (16MP) is very similar but the W380 (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The W380 was introduced 7 months prior to the A55 and they are both of a similar generation. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sony W380 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the W380 matches up against the A55 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380 and Sony SLT-A55. The whole galleries are provided at Sony W380 Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and size. The Sony W380 has got external measurements of 91mm x 52mm x 20mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.8") and a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Sony A55 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

See the Sony W380 vs Sony A55 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the W380 compared to the A55.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the W380 and A55 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements just by reading technical specs. The graphic underneath might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the W380 and A55.

As you can tell, each of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The W380 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Sony A55 will deliver extra detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The older W380 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.