Samsung SL820 vs Sony NEX-7

On this page, we will be looking at the Samsung SL820 vs Sony NEX-7, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by competitors Samsung and Sony. There is a significant difference between the image resolutions of the SL820 (12MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) and the SL820 (1/2.3") and NEX-7 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SL820 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the NEX-7 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Samsung SL820 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SL820 matches up vs the NEX-7 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Samsung SL820 and Sony Alpha NEX-7. The full galleries are available at Samsung SL820 Gallery and Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Samsung SL820 has got exterior measurements of 95mm x 59mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") along with a weight of 168 grams (0.37 lbs) and the Sony NEX-7 has measurements of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Check the Samsung SL820 vs Sony NEX-7 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the SL820 against the NEX-7.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SL820 and NEX-7 is 94 and 84 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements merely by going over a spec sheet. The photograph here should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the SL820 and NEX-7.

As you can see, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SL820 having a tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sony NEX-7 will offer more detail having an extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older SL820 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.