Samsung SL820 vs Sony a5100

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Samsung SL820 and Sony a5100, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Samsung and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the image resolutions of the SL820 (12MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the SL820 (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SL820 was introduced 6 years prior to the a5100 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Samsung SL820 being a Compact camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the SL820 matches up against the a5100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Samsung SL820 and Sony Alpha a5100. The whole galleries are provided at Samsung SL820 Gallery and Sony a5100 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera often, you should factor in its weight and size. The Samsung SL820 has physical dimensions of 95mm x 59mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 168 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Sony a5100 has specifications of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

Examine the Samsung SL820 and Sony a5100 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the SL820 compared to the a5100.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SL820 and a5100 is 94 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to imagine the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by going through specs. The image underneath might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SL820 and a5100.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SL820 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Sony a5100 will provide extra detail using its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged SL820 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.