Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Sony W690

Lets look a little more closely at the Sigma DP2 Merrill and Sony W690, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Sigma and Sony. The sensor resolution of the DP2 Merrill (15MP) and the W690 (16MP) is fairly similar but the DP2 Merrill (APS-C) and W690 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The DP2 Merrill was unveiled about the same time to the W690 which means that they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Sigma DP2 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony W690 being a Compact camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the DP2 Merrill scores vs the W690 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma DP2 Merrill and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690. The full galleries are viewable at Sigma DP2 Merrill Gallery and Sony W690 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to travel with your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Sigma DP2 Merrill enjoys physical measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") and a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) and the Sony W690 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

See the Sigma DP2 Merrill and Sony W690 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the DP2 Merrill compared to the W690.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the DP2 Merrill and W690 is 83 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it is very tough to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reading specs. The pic below may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the DP2 Merrill and W690.

All in all, both of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The DP2 Merrill with its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF easier and the Sony W690 will offer you extra detail having an extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively.