Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a1

Its time to look a little more closely at the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony a1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Pro Mirrorless by competitors Sigma and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the SD1 Merrill (15MP) and a1 (50MP) and the SD1 Merrill (APS-C) and a1 (Full frame) have different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The SD1 Merrill was launched 9 years prior to the a1 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the SD1 Merrill matches up versus the a1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony Alpha a1. The complete galleries are provided at Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery and Sony a1 Gallery.

When you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you will need to consider its weight and proportions. The Sigma SD1 Merrill offers outside dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs) whilst the Sony a1 has measurements of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs).

Examine the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony a1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the SD1 Merrill vs the a1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SD1 Merrill and a1 is 57 and 61 respectively.

Normally, it's tough to picture the gap between sensor dimensions just by reading specs. The image underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SD1 Merrill and a1.

All in all, both the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SD1 Merrill due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Sony a1 will offer you more detail utilizing its extra 35MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged SD1 Merrill is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.