Samsung CL5 vs Sony A57

Below is a complete assessment of the Samsung CL5 vs Sony A57, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Samsung and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the CL5 (9MP) and A57 (16MP) and the CL5 (1/2.5") and A57 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The CL5 was brought out 4 years prior to the A57 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Samsung CL5 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the CL5 matches up versus the A57 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Samsung CL5 & Sony SLT-A57. The entire galleries are available at Samsung CL5 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Samsung CL5 has got outside measurements of 93mm x 60mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.7") along with a weight of 141 grams (0.31 lbs) while the Sony A57 has proportions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check the Samsung CL5 vs Sony A57 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at the time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the CL5 against the A57.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the CL5 and A57 is 95 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, its hard to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by seeing specifications. The photograph below may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the CL5 and A57.

Plainly, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The CL5 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field tougher and the Sony A57 will produce greater detail having its extra 7 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The older CL5 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.