Sony Alpha
DSLR-A550
 vs
Sony
SLT-A55

Updated (March, 2012): Compare the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 vs Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT-A55

63

  
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

52

  
Winner

Sony SLT-A55

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT-A55

Movie format
 Full HD
1080p @ 30fps
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
10 fps
Sensor size
 Large sensor
APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Panorama
 In-camera panoramas
Stitches together multiple photos into a panorama
 

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
500 ms startup delay
Viewfinder
 Great viewfinder
Pentamirror
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Battery life
 Great battery life
950 shots
Storage slots
 More storage slots
2
 

differences

Advantages of the Sony DSLR-A550
Battery life Much longer battery life 950 shots vs 350 shots
Help
 More than 2.5x more shots per battery charge
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentamirror vs Digital
Help
 Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
 More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Startup delay Less startup delay 500 ms vs 900 ms
Help
 More than 40% less delay when turning on
Thickness Slightly thinner 3.3" vs 3.3"
Help
 Almost the same
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Learn more about
the Sony DSLR-A550

Advantages of the Sony SLT-A55
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 30fps vs None
Help
 Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Autofocus Faster autofocus Phase detection vs Contrast detection
Help
 Catch candid moments easily
Color depth Better color depth 23 bits vs 21.9 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 1.1 more bits of color
Overall image quality Better image quality 73.0 vs 66.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
Autofocus Video autofocus Phase detection vs None
Help
 Automatically focuses shooting video
GPS Has a GPS Yes vs No
Help
 Automatically geotags your photos when traveling
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
 Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.4 EV vs 11.8 EV
Help
 0.6 f-stops more dynamic range
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 10 fps vs 7 fps
Help
 More than 40% faster continuous shooting
Size Much smaller 124x92x85 mm vs 137x104x84 mm
Help
 Around 20% smaller
Light sensitivity (boost) Has boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs None
Help
 Allows taking photos in darker situations, often at the cost of additional noise in the image
True resolution Higher true resolution 16 MP vs 14 MP
Help
 Capture more than 10% more detail in your photos
Weight Significantly lighter 500 g vs 632 g
Help
 More than 20% lighter
Sony SLT-A55 Learn more about
the Sony SLT-A55
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent entry-level DSLRs, and ignoring price

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
52 vs 63
Explain scores
Sony SLT-A55 Sony SLT-A55
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony SLT-A55.

similarities

Compared to recent entry-level DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Sensor shift
Screen flips out Flip-out screens Help
Great for movies
Thickness Quite thick Help
3.3"
Fastest shutter speed Slow max shutter speed Help
1/4000 of a second
Lens availability Few lenses available Help
92 lenses
True resolution Capture low resolution images Help
DSLR-A550:14 MP
SLT-A55:16 MP
Weather sealed Neither is weather sealed Help
Need to shelter it from weather
Low light performance Above average noise at high ISO Help
DSLR-A550:807 ISO
SLT-A55:816 ISO

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Sony SLT A57

Sony SLT A57

Entry-level DSLR

$460 - $499 body only

$519 - $539 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder size Much larger viewfinder
Light sensitivity Slightly higher maximum light sensitivity
Weight Is slightly heavier
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the SLT A57 vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the SLT A57 vs the SLT-A55
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Weight Is slightly heavier
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Compare the D5100 vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the D5100 vs the SLT-A55
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$549 body only

$599 - $649 with 18-55mm lens
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Supports 24p Records movies in 24p
Weight Is slightly heavier
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the SLT-A55
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $698 body only

$798 - $1,005 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder size Much larger viewfinder
True resolution Takes much higher resolution photos
Weight Is slightly heavier
Size Is slightly larger
Compare the SLT A65 vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the SLT A65 vs the SLT-A55
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580

Sony Alpha DSLR-A580

Entry-level DSLR

$619 - $779 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Weight Is slightly heavier
Size Is much larger
Compare the Alpha DSLR-A580 vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the Alpha DSLR-A580 vs the SLT-A55
Sony SLT-A77

Sony SLT A77

Pro DSLR

$998 - $1,000 body only

$1,598 - $1,930 with 16-50mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Color depth Has slightly more color depth
Weight Is much heavier
Size Is much larger
Compare the SLT A77 vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the SLT A77 vs the SLT-A55
Sony SLT A58

Sony SLT A58

Entry-level DSLR

$588 - $598 with 18-55mm lens
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
True resolution Takes slightly higher resolution photos
Continuous shooting Doesn't shoot as fast continuously
Screen size Has a significantly smaller screen
Compare the SLT A58 vs the Alpha DSLR-A550
Compare the SLT A58 vs the SLT-A55

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550.

Sony SLT-A55 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Sony SLT-A55.

appearance

Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony SLT-A55
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony SLT-A55
Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Sony SLT-A55

discussion

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