Sony A3000 has a
20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features BIONZ processor. On the other hand, Sony A550 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony A3000's sensor provides 6MP more than Sony A550's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the A3000 and A550 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A3000 and Sony A550 Cameras
Sony A3000 and Sony A550 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
Both Sony A3000 and Sony A550 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark 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. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, A3000 has scored 78, 12 points higher than A550.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A3000
78
23.7 bits
12.8 Evs
1068 ISO
Sony A550
66
21.9 bits
11.8 Evs
807 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony A3000
or the
Sony A550 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
