Samsung ST30 vs Sony a3500

In this write-up, we are looking at the Samsung ST30 and Sony a3500, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Samsung and Sony. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the ST30 (10MP) and a3500 (20MP) and the ST30 (1/3") and a3500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The ST30 was brought out 4 years before the a3500 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Samsung ST30 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a concise summation of how the ST30 matches up vs the a3500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung ST30 and Sony Alpha a3500. The entire galleries are available at Samsung ST30 Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera often, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Samsung ST30 provides physical measurements of 82mm x 52mm x 17mm (3.2" x 2.0" x 0.7") and a weight of 87 grams (0.19 lbs) and the Sony a3500 has proportions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

Compare the Samsung ST30 and Sony a3500 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the ST30 and the a3500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the ST30 and a3500 is 98 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions only by going over specs. The picture here should offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the ST30 and a3500.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ST30 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Sony a3500 will deliver extra detail having its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged ST30 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.