Sony W550 vs Sony A55

Let's look more closely at the Sony W550 vs Sony A55, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and they are both sold by Sony. The sensor resolution of the W550 (14MP) and the A55 (16MP) is pretty well matched but the W550 (1/2.3") and A55 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

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The W550 was manufactured 12 months after the A55 and they are of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise summary of how the W550 matches up vs the A55 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550 & Sony SLT-A55. The entire galleries are viewable at Sony W550 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Sony W550 has got external dimensions of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Examine the Sony W550 vs Sony A55 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the W550 compared to the A55.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the W550 and A55 is 96 and 67 respectively.

Generally, it is difficult to see the gap between sensor sizes purely by checking specifications. The image underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the W550 and A55.

Plainly, the two cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The W550 featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony A55 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more modern W550 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.