Sony A55 vs Sony A99

On this page, we are matching up the Sony A55 and Sony A99, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Advanced DSLR and both are manufactured by Sony. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the A55 (16MP) and A99 (24MP) and the A55 (APS-C) and A99 (Full frame) provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A55 was introduced 3 years before the A99 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the A55 grades against the A99 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony SLT-A55 and Sony SLT-A99. The whole galleries are available at Sony A55 Gallery and Sony A99 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera frequently, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony A55 provides exterior measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Sony A99 has dimensions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Sony A55 and Sony A99 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the A55 vs the A99.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the A55 and A99 is 67 and 57 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes only by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A55 and A99.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The A55 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A99 will offer more detail using its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The more aged A55 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.