Sony A550 vs Sony A100 Comparison

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Sony A550

14 MP | APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Sony A100

10 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CCD Sensor

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Sony A550 vs Sony A100 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing A550 and A100, two Entry-Level DSLR cameras by Sony. Both cameras have APS-C sensors but Sony A550 has a 14.0 MP and Sony A100 has a 10.0 MP resolution. Sony A550 was introduced to market in December 2009 and Sony A100 was launched in July 2006. As you can see, A100 is 3 years older than A550. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A550 and Sony A100 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A550 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2009-12-09

14MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 12800

Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

7 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

632g. 137 x 104 x 84 mm

Replaced Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Compare

Sony A100 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2006-07-31

10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600

Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.5" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

3 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

638g. 133 x 95 x 71 mm

Replaced Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D Compare

Sony A100 was replaced by Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A550 and Sony A100 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

LCD Screen	Tilting vs Fixed Type	Flexible shooting positions
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs No	very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution	14 MP vs 10 MP	39% more pixels
Max ISO	12.800 vs 1.600	700% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution	922k dots vs 230k dots	300% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting	7.0fps vs 3.0fps	4 fps faster
Weight	632 g vs 638 g	6 g lighter
Dynamic Range	11.8 vs 11.2	higher dynamic range
Low Light ISO	807 vs 476	better High ISO performance
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

Viewfinder Magnification	0.55x vs 0.53x	Larger Viewfinder
Color Depth	22.0 vs 21.9	higher color depth
Sensor Pixel Area	37.14µm² vs 26.02µm²	42% larger pixel area

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe	Yes vs Yes	Better for flash photography
Viewfinder	Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical)	Better framing and control
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality

Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A100

LCD Screen Size	3" vs 2.5"	Small display
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions
Optical Viewfinder Type	Pentamirror vs Pentamirror	not as bright as Pentaprism Viewfinders
AF Micro Adjustment (Fine Tune)	No vs No	no option to fine tune Auto focus

Sony A550 vs Sony A100: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony A550 and Sony A100 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A550 has external dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31″) and weighs 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz) (including batteries). Sony A100 has external dimensions of 133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.24 x 3.74 x 2.8″) and weighs 638 g (1.41 lb / 22.50 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A550 and Sony A100. Sony A100 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 4mm narrower, 9mm shorter and 13mm thinner than Sony A550.

Comparison image of Sony A550 and Sony A100 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A550 is 6g lighter than the Sony A100 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since both Sony A550 and Sony A100 have the same Sony/Minolta Alpha lens mount and APS-C sized sensors, lenses will not be a differentiator on total size of the system.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A550

A100

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A550

A100

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 nor Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony A550's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A100's 2.5" screen.

In addition to the size advantage, Sony A550 LCD screen also has a Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Sony A100 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A550.

Sony A550 vs Sony A100: Sensor Comparison

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, Sony A100 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor .

Below you can see the A550 and A100 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A550 and Sony A100 Cameras

Sony A550 and Sony A100 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

Both Sony A550 and Sony A100 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, 5 points higher than A100.

Model	Overall	Color Depth	Dynamic Range	Low-light ISO
Sony A550	66	21.9 bits	11.8 Evs	807 ISO
Sony A100	61	22.0 bits	11.2 Evs	476 ISO

Sony A550 vs Sony A100 Comparison of Available Lenses

Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. Sony A550 and Sony A100 have the same Sony/Minolta Alpha lens mount and currently there are 143 native lenses available for these cameras.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Sony A550 and Sony A100 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies.

Lens Type	# of Sony A550 Lenses	# of Sony A100 Lenses
Standard Zoom	20	20
Standard Prime	9	9
Wideangle Zoom	11	11
Wideangle Prime	18	18
Telephoto Zoom	26	26
Telephoto Prime	12	12
SuperZoom	19	19
Wideangle Fisheye Prime	4	4
Macro Prime	12	12
Perspective Control Prime	10	10
Telephoto Mirror Prime	2	2
TOTAL	143	143

Here are some of the most popular Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount Lenses for A550 and A100

	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Sigma 18-300 F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM	APS-C / DX	585gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 70-200mm F2.8 G SSM II	35mm FF	1500gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Tamron SP 150-600mm F5-6.3 Di VC USD	35mm FF	1951gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony DT 50mm F1.8 SAM	APS-C / DX	170gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G SSM II	35mm FF	750gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 24-70mm F2.8 ZA SSM Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T	35mm FF	955gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C	35mm FF	1930gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sony 50mm F1.4	35mm FF	222gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

What types of Photography are Sony A550 and Sony A100 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Sony A550 and Sony A100 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A550 for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sony A100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details

Sony A550 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Sony A100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details

Sony A550 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony A100 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details

Sony A550 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony A100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
632g
Body Thickness 84mm
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
638g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details

Sony A550 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony A100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Large APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 14.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details

Sony A550 vs Sony A100: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A550 and Sony A100, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A550 and Sony A100 scores compare:

Sony A550

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #36 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #277 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Sony A100

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #60 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #494 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Sony A550 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony A100 in all criteria except one: Portability. But the size difference between these cameras are negligible in real world so it is not a big disadvantage for Sony A550.

Sony A100 vs Sony A550 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sony Alpha DSLR-A550	Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Brand	Sony	Sony
Announced	2009-12-09	2006-07-31
Body Type	Compact SLR	Compact SLR
Sensor
Type	CMOS	CCD
Size	APS-C	APS-C
Dimensions	23.4 x 15.6 mm	23.6 x 15.8 mm
Area	365.04mm²	372.88mm²
Megapixels	14 megapixels	10 megapixels
Max Resolution	4592 x 3056	3872 x 2592
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	1,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity	200 ISO	100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	9	9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sony/Minolta Alpha	Sony/Minolta Alpha
Number of Available Lenses	143	143
Screen
Type	Tilting	Fixed type
Size	3"	2.5"
Resolution	922k dots	230k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage	95%	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.53x	0.55x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/4000s	1/4000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m	n/a
Max Flash Sync	1/160s	1/160s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	7.0 fps	3.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None	None
Video Formats	n/a	n/a
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None	None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	632g	638g
Dimensions	137 x 104 x 84mm	133 x 95 x 71mm
Battery Life	480 shots	n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	66	61
DxO Color Depth	21.9	22.0
DxO Dynamic Range	11.8	11.2
DxO Low Light ISO	807	476
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