Sony A55 vs Sony ZV-1

Let's take a closer look at the Sony A55 and Sony ZV-1, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both produced by Sony. The image resolution of the A55 (16MP) and the ZV-1 (20MP) is fairly well matched but the A55 (APS-C) and ZV-1 (1") provide totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A55 was brought out 10 years before the ZV-1 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony ZV-1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the A55 scores vs the ZV-1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony SLT-A55 and Sony ZV-1. The entire galleries are provided at Sony A55 Gallery and Sony ZV-1 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Sony A55 features outside measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony ZV-1 has measurements of 105mm x 60mm x 44mm (4.1" x 2.4" x 1.7") and a weight of 294 grams (0.65 lbs).

Compare the Sony A55 and Sony ZV-1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the A55 vs the ZV-1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A55 and ZV-1 is 67 and 88 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to see the difference between sensor measurements just by reading through specs. The photograph here will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A55 and ZV-1.

All in all, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A55 featuring a larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Sony ZV-1 will give extra detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older A55 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.