Sigma DP1s vs Sony A99 II

Here is a extended assessment of the Sigma DP1s vs Sony A99 II, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Sigma and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the DP1s (5MP) and A99 II (42MP) and the DP1s (APS-C) and A99 II (Full frame) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The DP1s was revealed 8 years prior to the A99 II and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Sigma DP1s being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A99 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a complete comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the DP1s grades against the A99 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma DP1s and Sony Alpha A99 II. The full galleries are provided at Sigma DP1s Gallery and Sony A99 II Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and measurements. The Sigma DP1s features physical dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") and a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Sony A99 II has proportions of 143mm x 104mm x 76mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.0") having a weight of 849 grams (1.87 lbs).

See the Sigma DP1s vs Sony A99 II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the DP1s versus the A99 II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the DP1s and A99 II is 90 and 57 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizing just by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the DP1s and A99 II.

Clearly, each of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The DP1s having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Sony A99 II will resolve greater detail because of its extra 37MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older DP1s is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.