Sony A850 vs Sony DSLR-A550

Sony A850 advantages over Sony DSLR-A550

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 5.94 vs 5.16 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  A850 test data on DxO Mark DSLR-A550 test data on DxO Mark
  1,415 vs 807 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• Higher max flash sync
  1/250 vs 1/160 sec
  Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
• Pentaprism viewfinder
  Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
  Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.74x vs 0.53x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  24.6 vs 14.2 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  23 vs 15 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light