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, Nikon P330 has a
12.0MP 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .
Below you can see the A550 and P330 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A550 and Nikon P330 Cameras
As seen above, Sony A550 has a 8.8x Larger sensor area than Nikon P330. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Sony A550 and Nikon P330 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, A550 has scored 66, 12 points higher than P330.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony A550
66
21.9 bits
11.8 Evs
807 ISO
Nikon P330
54
21.0 bits
11.7 Evs
213 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
Nikon P330 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
One thing to watch when comparing these two: they have different sensor sizes
(APS-C versus 1/1.7-inch),
so compare them at the same framing rather than the same focal length.
Put the same focal length on the smaller sensor and it will show less depth of
field, not more, because it also crops tighter. The calculator shows the
full frame equivalent focal length for each body so you can match the framing.
