Sony a290 vs Sony a550

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a290 and Sony a550. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a290

Sony a550

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a290 were released 2010 and Sony a550 was released 2009. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a290	2010
Sony a550	2009

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a290	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a550	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)

Resolution

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a290 has a 14 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a550 has 14 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a290	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Sony a550	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056

ISO range

Sony a550 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a290. Sony a550 has an ISO range that stretches from 200 to 12800 while Sony a290 has 100 to 3200.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a290	100-3200
Sony a550	200-12800

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a290
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a550

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a290 can shoot up to 2,5 pictures per seconds and Sony a550 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a290	2,5
Sony a550	7

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

Though, neither Sony a290 or Sony a550 can shoot movies so if that is a functionality that you are really looking for you should look elsewhere.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a550 weighs 632 gr (equal to 1.39 lb) which is 15% heavier than Sony a290 and its 549 gr (or 1.21 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a290	549 gr 1.21 lb
Sony a550	632 gr 1.39 lb