Sigma DP1 Merrill vs Sony W290

On this page, we will be looking at the Sigma DP1 Merrill and Sony W290, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Sigma and Sony. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the DP1 Merrill (15MP) and W290 (12MP) and the DP1 Merrill (APS-C) and W290 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The DP1 Merrill was launched 3 years after the W290 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Sigma DP1 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the DP1 Merrill matches up versus the W290 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Sigma DP1 Merrill & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The complete galleries are viewable at Sigma DP1 Merrill Gallery & Sony W290 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and proportions. The Sigma DP1 Merrill enjoys external measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5") and a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) and the Sony W290 has measurements of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Look at the Sigma DP1 Merrill and Sony W290 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the DP1 Merrill vs the W290.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the DP1 Merrill and W290 is 82 and 94 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by viewing a spec sheet. The pic here may provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the DP1 Merrill and W290.

As you can see, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The DP1 Merrill featuring a bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Sigma DP1 Merrill will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures more aggressively. The fresher DP1 Merrill is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.