Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000

Its time to look much closer at the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony a5000, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Sigma and Sony. There is a huge difference between the sensor resolutions of the SD1 Merrill (15MP) and a5000 (20MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor sizes (APS-C).

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The SD1 Merrill was announced 21 months before the a5000 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony a5000 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the SD1 Merrill scores versus the a5000 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony Alpha a5000. The whole galleries are viewable at Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery and Sony a5000 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Sigma SD1 Merrill enjoys physical dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") having a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs) whilst the Sony a5000 has proportions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Contrast the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony a5000 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is a front view size comparison of the SD1 Merrill vs the a5000.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SD1 Merrill and a5000 is 57 and 89 respectively.

Generally, its difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizing only by reading through technical specs. The visual underneath will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SD1 Merrill and a5000.

As you can tell, each of the cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different MP. You should expect the Sony a5000 to resolve more detail with its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots way more aggressively. The older SD1 Merrill is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.