Canon 550D has a
18.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 4 processor. On the other hand, Sony NEX-5N has a
16.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Below you can see the 550D and NEX-5N sensor size comparison.
Canon 550D and Sony NEX-5N have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon 550D and Sony NEX-5N sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that NEX-5N has a better overall score of 77, 11 points higher compared to 550D's score of 66.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Canon 550D |
66 |
22.0 bits |
11.6 Evs |
807 ISO |
Sony NEX-5N |
77 |
23.6 bits |
12.7 Evs |
1079 ISO |