Samsung PL200 vs Sony a5000

Below is a in depth assessment of the Samsung PL200 versus Sony a5000, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Samsung and Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the PL200 (14MP) and a5000 (20MP) and the PL200 (1/2.3") and a5000 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The PL200 was brought out 4 years prior to the a5000 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Samsung PL200 being a Compact camera and the Sony a5000 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a concise view of how the PL200 grades against the a5000 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung PL200 and Sony Alpha a5000. The entire galleries are available at Samsung PL200 Gallery and Sony a5000 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Samsung PL200 offers exterior dimensions of 100mm x 60mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 0.8") with a weight of 170 grams (0.37 lbs) and the Sony a5000 has proportions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Take a look at the Samsung PL200 versus Sony a5000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the PL200 vs the a5000.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the PL200 and a5000 is 94 and 89 respectively.

Generally, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The photograph below will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the PL200 and a5000.

Clearly, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The PL200 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony a5000 will give greater detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos much more aggressively. The older PL200 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.