Sony A550 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz processor. On the other hand, Canon SL2 has a
24.0MP APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 7 processor.
Canon SL2's sensor provides 10MP 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 A550 and SL2 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A550 and Canon SL2 Cameras
Sony A550 and Canon SL2 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. Sony A550 and Canon SL2 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that SL2 has a better overall score of 79, 13 points higher compared to A550's score of 66.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A550
66
21.9 bits
11.8 Evs
807 ISO
Canon SL2
79
23.6 bits
13.4 Evs
1041 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 A550
or the
Canon SL2 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
