Sigma DP1s vs Sony A500

Below is a thorough assessment of the Sigma DP1s vs Sony A500, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Sigma and Sony. There is a significant difference among the image resolutions of the DP1s (5MP) and A500 (12MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The DP1s was manufactured 2 months later than the A500 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sigma DP1s being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the DP1s scores versus the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma DP1s and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are provided at Sigma DP1s Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Sigma DP1s offers outer dimensions of 109mm x 60mm x 31mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.2") having a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Sony A500 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Sigma DP1s vs Sony A500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select at the time. The following is a front view size comparison of the DP1s against the A500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the DP1s and A500 is 90 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements just by looking through technical specs. The visual below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the DP1s and A500.

As you can tell, the two cameras come with the identical sensor size but not the same MP. You should anticipate the Sony A500 to result in more detail due to its extra 7MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively.