Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony a1

Let's look closer at the Sigma DP3 Merrill versus Sony a1, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Sigma and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the DP3 Merrill (15MP) and a1 (50MP) and the DP3 Merrill (APS-C) and a1 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor sizing.

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The DP3 Merrill was revealed 9 years before the a1 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the DP3 Merrill scores against the a1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sigma DP3 Merrill & Sony Alpha a1. The full galleries are provided at Sigma DP3 Merrill Gallery & Sony a1 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Sigma DP3 Merrill has got physical measurements of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") having a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) while the Sony a1 has measurements of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Take a look at the Sigma DP3 Merrill versus Sony a1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the DP3 Merrill vs the a1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the DP3 Merrill and a1 is 83 and 61 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading technical specs. The photograph here will give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the DP3 Merrill and a1.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The DP3 Merrill having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF tougher and the Sony a1 will deliver more detail because of its extra 35 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older DP3 Merrill is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.