Nikon P520 vs Sony A290

Below is a detailed review of the Nikon P520 versus Sony A290, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Nikon and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the P520 (18MP) and A290 (14MP) and the P520 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The P520 was brought out 2 years later than the A290 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Nikon P520 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a in depth comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the P520 grades vs the A290 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Nikon Coolpix P520 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The entire galleries are viewable at Nikon P520 Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Nikon P520 comes with outside measurements of 125mm x 84mm x 102mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 4.0") along with a weight of 550 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony A290 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

Check the Nikon P520 versus Sony A290 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the P520 and the A290.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the P520 and A290 is 66 and 66 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the P520 and A290.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The P520 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Nikon P520 will resolve more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop photos much more aggressively. The fresher P520 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.