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Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65

Portability
83
Imaging
57
Features
33
Overall
47
Sigma DP3 Merrill front
 
Sony SLT-A65 front
Portability
64
Imaging
64
Features
85
Overall
72

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Key Specs

Sigma DP3 Merrill
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 75mm (F2.8) lens
  • 330g - 122 x 67 x 59mm
  • Revealed January 2013
  • Old Model is Sigma DP2 Merrill
Sony A65
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Bump to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 622g - 132 x 97 x 81mm
  • Released November 2011
  • Renewed by Sony A68
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Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Overview

Below, we will be evaluating the Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65, former is a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Sigma and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the sensor resolutions of the DP3 Merrill (15MP) and A65 (24MP) but they feature the exact same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The DP3 Merrill was unveiled 14 months after the A65 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Sigma DP3 Merrill being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the DP3 Merrill scores vs the A65 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Sigma DP3 Merrill over the Sony A65

 DP3 Merrill A65 
ReleasedJanuary 2013November 2011More modern by 14 months

Reasons to pick Sony A65 over the Sigma DP3 Merrill

 A65 DP3 Merrill 
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution921k920kClearer screen (+1k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony A65

 DP3 Merrill A65 
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Screen dimension3"3"Identical screen sizing
Touch screen Neither comes with Touch screen

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sigma DP3 Merrill comes with external dimensions of 122mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") along with a weight of 330 grams (0.73 lbs) and the Sony A65 has dimensions of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).

Take a look at the Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the DP3 Merrill and the A65.

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the DP3 Merrill and A65 is 83 and 64 respectively.

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 top view buttons comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very tough to see the contrast between sensor sizes just by looking at technical specs. The pic underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the DP3 Merrill and A65.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Sony A65 to give extra detail having an extra 9 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more recent DP3 Merrill will have an edge in sensor innovation.

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 sensor size comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Screen and ViewFinder

Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill Portrait photography features
Sony A65 Portrait photography features
74
you can focus manually
good resolution (15MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
78
has manual focus
decent MP (24 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
includes face detection focusing
supports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill Street photography information
Sony A65 Street photography information
65
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
77
screen can move to multiple angles
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill Sports photography advice
Sony A65 Sports photography advice
45
good resolution (15 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
fixed focal length (75mm)
very slow continuous shooting (4.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
no phase detect AF
82
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (24MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
includes tracking autofocus
has phase detect AF
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill as a Travel photography camera
Sony A65 as a Travel photography camera
54
good resolution (15 megapixels)
lack of Time Lapse mode
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
68
decent MP (24MP)
has built in flash
selfie friendly display
lack of Time Lapse function
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Landscape Comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill Landscape photography features
Sony A65 Landscape photography features
56
you can focus manually
nice screen size (3 inch)
good resolution (15 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
cannot change lens (fixed lens mount)
fixed focal length (75mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
lack of image stabilization
lack of Time Lapse mode
75
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (24 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
supports RAW files
lack of Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sigma DP3 Merrill Vlogging info
Sony A65 Vlogging info
22
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
lack of image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
lack of external mic support
78
selfie friendly display
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detection focusing
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
has external mic support
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Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Sony A65 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sigma DP3 Merrill and Sony A65
 Sigma DP3 MerrillSony SLT-A65
General Information
Make Sigma Sony
Model Sigma DP3 Merrill Sony SLT-A65
Class Large Sensor Compact Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2013-01-08 2011-11-15
Physical type Large Sensor Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by Dual TRUE II engine Bionz
Sensor type CMOS (Foveon X3) CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor dimensions 24 x 16mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 384.0mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 15 megapixels 24 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4704 x 3136 6000 x 4000
Max native ISO 6400 12800
Max enhanced ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 100 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points - 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mounting type fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens focal range 75mm (1x) -
Max aperture f/2.8 -
Number of lenses - 143
Crop factor 1.5 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Screen size 3" 3"
Resolution of screen 920 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 2,359 thousand dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.73x
Features
Min shutter speed - 30 secs
Max shutter speed - 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter rate 4.0 frames per second 10.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 10.00 m
Flash options no built-in flash Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Max video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 330 grams (0.73 lbs) 622 grams (1.37 lbs)
Dimensions 122 x 67 x 59mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.3") 132 x 97 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 74
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.4
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.6
DXO Low light score not tested 717
Other
Battery life - 560 shots
Battery style - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FM500H
Self timer - Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type - SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at release $1,353 $700