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Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290

Portability
99
Imaging
38
Features
29
Overall
34
Samsung ST6500 front
 
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 front
Portability
66
Imaging
53
Features
47
Overall
50

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Key Specs

Samsung ST6500
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F) lens
  • n/ag - 102 x 57 x 19mm
  • Released January 2011
Sony A290
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
  • Revealed June 2010
  • Replaced the Sony A230
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Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Overview

Here, we will be looking at the Samsung ST6500 and Sony A290, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Samsung and Sony. The image resolution of the ST6500 (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively close but the ST6500 (1/2.3") and A290 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The ST6500 was revealed 8 months after the A290 which means that they are of a similar age. Both cameras feature different body design with the Samsung ST6500 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ST6500 matches up against the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Samsung ST6500 over the Sony A290

 ST6500 A290 
RevealedJanuary 2011June 2010Newer by 8 months
Screen size3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution460k230kSharper screen (+230k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony A290 over the Samsung ST6500

 A290 ST6500 
Manually focus Dial exact focus

Common features in the Samsung ST6500 and Sony A290

 ST6500 A290 
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Physical Comparison

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Samsung ST6500 has external measurements of 102mm x 57mm x 19mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Samsung ST6500 and Sony A290 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the ST6500 compared to the A290.

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the ST6500 and A290 is 99 and 66 respectively.

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 top view buttons comparison

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Sensor Comparison

Often, it can be tough to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions only by researching specifications. The image underneath may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the ST6500 and A290.

Plainly, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The ST6500 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Samsung ST6500 will render extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The younger ST6500 should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 sensor size comparison

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Screen and ViewFinder

Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Portrait photography information
Sony A290 Portrait photography information
29
decent MP (16MP)
lack of manual focus
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
65
focusing manually
decent megapixels (14MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
no liveview feature
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Street Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Street photography features
Sony A290 Street photography features
50
screen is fixed
no image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
no moving screen
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Sports Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Sports photography info
Sony A290 Sports photography info
29
decent MP (16 megapixels)
lack of shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
55
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect autofocus
no liveview feature
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames/s)
not so great battery (290 per charge)
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Travel Comparison

Samsung ST6500 Travel photography details
Sony A290 Travel photography details
73
decent MP (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
really wide (26mm)
fast maximum aperture (f)
no Timelapse function
does not offer selfie friendly screen
53
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
does not have Timelapse recording
not so great battery (290 per charge)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Samsung ST6500 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony A290 as a Landscape photography camera
43
really wide (26mm)
fast maximum aperture (f)
pretty good screen size (3")
decent MP (16MP)
lack of manual focus
can't switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
manual mode not available
no image stabilization
sensor is small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
no Timelapse function
57
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
small screen (2.7 inches)
no liveview feature
not so great battery (290 per charge)
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Samsung ST6500 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A290 as a Vlogging camera
32
really wide (26mm)
fast maximum aperture (f)
touchscreen functionality
does not offer selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
no external microphone socket
9
no video recording
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Samsung ST6500 vs Sony A290 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Samsung ST6500 and Sony A290
 Samsung ST6500Sony Alpha DSLR-A290
General Information
Brand Samsung Sony
Model type Samsung ST6500 Sony Alpha DSLR-A290
Type Ultracompact Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2011-01-19 2010-06-09
Physical type Ultracompact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Chip - Bionz
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4608 x 3456 4592 x 3056
Maximum native ISO 3200 3200
Min native ISO 80 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points - 9
Cross type focus points - -
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 26-130mm (5.0x) -
Amount of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.9 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of screen 460 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.55x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 8s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000s 1/4000s
Continuous shooting rate - 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance - 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options - Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 -
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 None
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB none USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight - 549 gr (1.21 pounds)
Physical dimensions 102 x 57 x 19mm (4.0" x 2.2" x 0.7") 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 66
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.6
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.5
DXO Low light rating not tested 615
Other
Battery life - 290 shots
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FH50
Self timer - Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage - Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo, SD/SDHC
Card slots Single Single
Price at launch - $600