Sony a550 vs Nikon D5100

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a550 and Nikon D5100. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a550

Nikon D5100

Manufacturing

Sony a550 is manufacturered by Sony but Nikon D5100 is from Nikon. Both Sony and Nikon are well known brands though.

Sony a550 were released 2009 and Nikon D5100 was released 2011. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a550	2009
Nikon D5100	2011

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a550 has a "Sony APS-C"-sensor while Nikon D5100 has a "Nikon DX"-sensor, and their difference in sensors will also affect the crop factor and experience focal length. See the table below.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a550	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Nikon D5100	75 mm Nikon DX 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)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Sony a550 has a 14 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D5100 has 16,2 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a550	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Nikon D5100	16,2 MP 16084992 pixels 4928 x 3264

Nikon D5100 has a 15 % larger resolution than Sony a550. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a550 has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D5100. Sony a550 has an ISO range that stretches from 200 to 12800 while Nikon D5100 has 100 to 6400.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a550	200-12800
Nikon D5100	100-6400

Autofocus and lens compatibility

There is a big difference between these two cameras. Sony a550 has a built-in autofocus motor but Nikon D5100 does not. If you want to be able to use autofocus on Nikon D5100 there is a need for having an autofocus motor inside the lens. We really encourage you to look closely at our lens compatibility charts at the links below.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a550
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D5100

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a550 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds and Nikon D5100 can shoot up to 4 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a550	7
Nikon D5100	4

Ability to record movies

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

It is only one of these two cameras that support recording movies and movie clips and that is Nikon D5100. Sadly, the Sony a550 does not support this.

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 3% heavier than Nikon D5100 and its 611 gr (or 1.35 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a550	632 gr 1.39 lb
Nikon D5100	611 gr 1.35 lb