Samsung TL500 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Here is a complete assessment of the Samsung TL500 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Samsung and Sigma. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the TL500 (10MP) and SD1 Merrill (15MP) and the TL500 (1/1.7") and SD1 Merrill (APS-C) offer different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The TL500 was introduced 21 months before the SD1 Merrill which makes them a generation apart from one another. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Samsung TL500 being a Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the TL500 grades vs the SD1 Merrill in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Samsung TL500 & Sigma SD1 Merrill. The whole galleries are available at Samsung TL500 Gallery & Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Samsung TL500 provides outer dimensions of 114mm x 63mm x 29mm (4.5" x 2.5" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 386 grams (0.85 lbs) whilst the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Check the Samsung TL500 versus Sigma SD1 Merrill in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the TL500 against the SD1 Merrill.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the TL500 and SD1 Merrill is 88 and 57 respectively.

Normally, its tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizing merely by checking a spec sheet. The visual underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the TL500 and SD1 Merrill.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TL500 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Sigma SD1 Merrill will resolve more detail using its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots more aggressively. The older TL500 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.