Samsung ST80 vs Sony a3500

Lets look more closely at the Samsung ST80 and Sony a3500, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Samsung and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the ST80 (14MP) and a3500 (20MP) and the ST80 (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The ST80 was announced 5 years before the a3500 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Samsung ST80 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short synopsis of how the ST80 grades vs the a3500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Samsung ST80 & Sony Alpha a3500. The whole galleries are provided at Samsung ST80 Gallery & Sony a3500 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and size. The Samsung ST80 enjoys outside dimensions of 92mm x 55mm x 19mm (3.6" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 118 grams (0.26 lbs) while the Sony a3500 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).

See the Samsung ST80 and Sony a3500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the ST80 against the a3500.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the ST80 and a3500 is 96 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizes merely by checking out a spec sheet. The picture below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the ST80 and a3500.

Clearly, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The ST80 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony a3500 will show greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged ST80 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.