Casio EX-S12 vs Sony a3500

Here is a detailed assessment of the Casio EX-S12 versus Sony a3500, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Casio and Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the EX-S12 (12MP) and a3500 (20MP) and the EX-S12 (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The EX-S12 was announced 6 years before the a3500 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Casio EX-S12 being a Compact camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a simple summation of how the EX-S12 matches up versus the a3500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Casio Exilim EX-S12 and Sony Alpha a3500. The whole galleries are viewable at Casio EX-S12 Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Casio EX-S12 features physical measurements of 95mm x 60mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") having a weight of 111 grams (0.24 lbs) and the Sony a3500 has dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Casio EX-S12 versus Sony a3500 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the EX-S12 and the a3500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the EX-S12 and a3500 is 96 and 69 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizing purely by seeing specs. The photograph below might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the EX-S12 and a3500.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The EX-S12 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Sony a3500 will provide greater detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The older EX-S12 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.