Samsung PL200 vs Sony a1

Its time to look more in depth at the Samsung PL200 and Sony a1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by manufacturers Samsung and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the PL200 (14MP) and a1 (50MP) and the PL200 (1/2.3") and a1 (Full frame) offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The PL200 was manufactured 11 years earlier than the a1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Samsung PL200 being a Compact camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a simple summary of how the PL200 matches up vs the a1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung PL200 & Sony Alpha a1. The entire galleries are viewable at Samsung PL200 Gallery & Sony a1 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and volume. The Samsung PL200 comes with exterior measurements of 100mm x 60mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.8") having a weight of 170 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Sony a1 has sizing of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

See the Samsung PL200 and Sony a1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the PL200 and the a1.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the PL200 and a1 is 94 and 61 respectively.

Typically, it can be difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The photograph here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the PL200 and a1.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The PL200 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony a1 will result in more detail due to its extra 36MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older PL200 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.