Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 vs Samsung HZ15W

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W
      61
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      54
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and the Samsung HZ15W, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 was introduced in December 2009 and Samsung HZ15W was introduced in February 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Highlights

      • 14.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 200 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 922k dot Tilting Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 7.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Samsung HZ15W Highlights

      • 12.2 MP 1/2.33-inch CCD Sensor
      • 80 - 3,200 Native ISO
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 460k dot Fixed Screen
      • 1280 x 720 Video Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550
      4. Advantage of Samsung HZ15W
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Samsung HZ15W.

      PROS

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 249 g (0.55 lb / 8.78 oz)
      •   Internal Storage

      CONS

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 14.2 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 480 shots
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.2 Megapixel
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   No External Flash Connectivity
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 66
      •   Weight - 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz)
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"

      Advantage of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Sony DSLR-A550
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 over Samsung HZ15W.

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 vs Samsung HZ15W
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs 1/2.33-inch
      Higher Sensor Resolution 14.2 Megapixel vs 12.2 Megapixel
      RAW Support vs
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Continuous Autofocus vs
      Phase Detection for Autofocus vs
      Screen Type Tilting vs Fixed
      Higher Resolution Screen 922k dot vs 460k dot
      Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 16 sec
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/2000 sec
      External Flash Connectivity vs
      Manual Exposure Mode vs
      Aperture Priority vs
      Shutter Priority vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Sony Alpha DSLR-A550.

      Sony DSLR-A390
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      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A350
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A580
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A500
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Sony DSLR-A700
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.24 MP

      Sony DSLR-A900
      Image cannot be found

      Full Frame

      24.6 MP

      Sony DSLR-A290
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A200
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A330
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A560
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      14.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A100
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Sony DSLR-A300
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Advantage of Samsung HZ15W

      Samsung HZ15W
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Samsung HZ15W over Sony Alpha DSLR-A550.

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 vs Samsung HZ15W
      Video Capture vs
      Lower Native ISO 200 vs 80
      Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 3,200
      Max Image Resolution 4592 x 3056 vs 4000 x 3000
      Center Autofocus vs
      Contrast Detection for Autofocus vs
      Built-in Microphone vs Stereo
      Lighter 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz) vs 249 g (0.55 lb / 8.78 oz)
      Internal Storage vs 30 MB

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Samsung HZ15W.

      Olympus E-5
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Nikon P530
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      1/2.3-inch

      16.1 MP

      Nikon D300
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      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Nikon D90
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      APS-C

      12.3 MP

      Fujifilm S8600
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      1/2.3-inch

      16 MP

      Olympus E-3
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Fujifilm X-T5
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      APS-C

      40.2 MP

      Nikon D5100
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      APS-C

      16.2 MP

      Sony a7S II
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      Full Frame

      12.2 MP

      Panasonic ZS200
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      1-inch

      20.1 MP

      Fujifilm GFX 100
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      Medium format

      102 MP

      Nikon D2X
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      APS-C

      12.4 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Samsung HZ15W
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Image StabilizationSensor Shift
        Built-in Flash
      WEAKNESSES Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 Samsung HZ15W
        Low Resolution Sensor14.2 Megapixel12.2 Megapixel
        Timelapse Recording
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Samsung HZ15W have 3.0" screens with 922k dot and 460k dot resolutions respectively. Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 has a Tilting screen which makes it very useful for photography purposes but not so useful for video shooting. Samsung HZ15W has a Fixed screen

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      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 with Tilting screen


      Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.80x (0.53x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Samsung HZ15W.

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 features a 14.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.4 x 15.6 mm and a total area of 365 mm2. Its native ISO range is 200 - 12,800. Samsung HZ15W features a 12.2 megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor with dimensions of 6.08 x 4.56 mm and a total area of 20.8 mm2. Its native ISO range is 80 - 3,200.

      Photography Features

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4592 x 3056 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4592 x 2576, 3344 x 2224, 3344 x 1872, 2288 x 1520, 2288 x 1280 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Samsung HZ15W can take pictures up to 4000 x 3000 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4000 x 2654, 4000 x 2248, 3264 x 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1920 x 1080, 1024 x 768 with 16:9, 4:3, 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Image Stabilization

      The cameras have a built-in image stabilization. On Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 it means that you are still getting vibration reduction when it is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 comes with NP-FM500H battery pack with battery life of 480 shots and Samsung HZ15W comes with SLB-10A battery pack.


      External Storage Slots

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 has a single SD/SDHC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot. Samsung HZ15W has a single SC/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550, and up to 1/2000 sec on Samsung HZ15W. Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and 4.70 m on Samsung HZ15W. Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 also accepts external flash. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha DSLR-A550.

      Physical Parameters

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 body has dimensions of 137 x 104 x 84 mm (5.39 x 4.09 x 3.31") and Samsung HZ15W body has dimensions of 105 x 61 x 37 mm (4.13 x 2.4 x 1.46"). Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 weighs 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz) and Samsung HZ15W weighs 249 g (0.55 lb / 8.78 oz).

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      137 mm

      104 mm

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      105 mm

      61 mm

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      104 mm

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      61 mm

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      Size comparisons of Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Samsung HZ15W

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Samsung HZ15W for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      70
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      46
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      70
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 480 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      70
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Wildlife Photography

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 480 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Portrait Photography

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      82
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      71
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Street Photography

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      82
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz)
      GOOD
      83
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 249 g (0.55 lb / 8.78 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      80
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 480 shots
      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 249 g (0.55 lb / 8.78 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Sony Alpha DSLR-A550 and Samsung HZ15W and give them scores of 61 and 54 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      OVERALL
      61
      OVERALL
      54

      Sensor

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 14.2 Megapixel
      •   200 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 66
      POOR
      45
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 12.2 Megapixel
      •   80 Lowest Native ISO
      •   3,200 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      71
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 7.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/160 sec
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/2000 sec
      •   No External Flash Connectivity

      Video

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization
      POOR
      43
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1280 x 720

      Focusing

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      75
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      73
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      GOOD
      74
      •   Tilting Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 922k dot
      POOR
      53
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 460k dot
      •   No Viewfinder

      Connectivity

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      AVERAGE
      57
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      46
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Sony Alpha DSLR-A550

      Samsung HZ15W

      POOR
      40
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 632 g (1.39 lb / 22.29 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 480 shots
      POOR
      48
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 249 g (0.55 lb / 8.78 oz)
      •   Internal Storage


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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