Sony DSLR-A550 vs Nikon S9900

Sony DSLR-A550 advantages over Nikon S9900

• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 1/2.3 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Eye-level viewfinder
  Eye-level vs Rear display only
  You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 5.16 vs 1.34 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• RAW file ability
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more flexibility to develop your photos later
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  950 vs 300 shots
  Capture more photos
• Manual focus
  Yes vs No
  AF is for the weak. Real photographers focus manually.
• Hot shoe
  Hot shoe vs None
  Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
• Longer exposure
  30 vs 8 sec
  Long exposures for night shots
• Bulb shutter
  Bulb vs No bulb
  Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  15 vs 5 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  12800 vs 6400 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility