Sony a7R III vs Sony a550

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a7R III and Sony a550. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a7R III were released 2017 and Sony a550 was released 2009. That is a 8 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a7R III 2017
Sony a550 2009

Type of camera

Sony a7R III is a Mirrorless camera while Sony a550 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

These cameras have different sensors. Sony a7R III has a "Sony Full Frame"-sensor while Sony a550 has a "Sony APS-C"-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 a7R III 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
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

Sony a7R III has a 42 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 a7R III 42 MP
42177408 pixels
7952 x 5304
Sony a550 14 MP
14033152 pixels
4592 x 3056

Sony a7R III has a 201 % 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 a7R III has a larger ISO-range than Sony a550. Sony a7R III has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Sony a550 has 200 to 12800.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a7R III 100-32000
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 a7R III
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 a7R III can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Sony a550 can shoot up to 7 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a7R III 10
Sony a550 7

Ability to record movies

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

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony a7R III. Unfortunately Sony a550 does not support recording movies and movie clips.

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 a7R III weighs 657 gr (equal to 1.45 lb) which is 4% heavier than Sony a550 and its 632 gr (or 1.39 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a7R III 657 gr
1.45 lb
Sony a550 632 gr
1.39 lb

Sony a7R III vs Sony a550 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a7R III and Sony a550, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Name Sony a7R III Sony a550
Manufacturer Sony Sony
Release Date and Price
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Release Year 2017 2009
Release Date 2017-10-25 2009-08-27
MSRP 3199 USD 949 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) APS-C (approx 23.5 x 15.6 mm)
Sensor Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Resolution 7952 x 5304 pixels 4592 x 3056 pixels
Megapixels 42 MP 14 MP
Image Processor Bionz X Bionz
Image
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
ISO Range 100 - 32000 200 - 12800
White Balance Presets 10 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift 5-axis)
Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 399 9
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Sony A

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
APS-C Sensor (1.5x)
1.5x multiplier
Example:
24 mm becomes 36 mm
50 mm becomes 75 mm
100 mm becomes 150 mm
200 mm becomes 300 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Articulated LCD Tilting Tilting
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 921600
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD N/A
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.8× (0.53× 35mm equiv.)
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 N/A
Photography features
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Frames per second 10 fps 7 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Built-in Flash No Yes
Built-in Flash Range N/A 12 meters
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No No
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Video recording Yes No
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
N/A
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
N/A
Built-in Microphone Yes No
Built-in Speakers Yes No
Storage
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Memory Stick Pro Duo
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes No
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11b/g/n + NFC + Bluetooth)
No
Remote Control Yes (wired, wireless, smartphone) Yes (Wired or Wireless (Optional))
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a7R III
Sony a550
Enviromentally sealed Yes No
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery and charger
Lithium-Ion NP-FM500H rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 650 shots 480 shots
Width 127 mm 137 mm
Height 96 mm 104 mm
Depth 74 mm 84 mm
Weight 657 gram 632 gram