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Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000

Portability
57
Imaging
56
Features
45
Overall
51
Sigma SD1 Merrill front
 
Sony Alpha a5000 front
Portability
89
Imaging
62
Features
62
Overall
62

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Key Specs

Sigma SD1 Merrill
(Full Review)
  • 15MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • No Video
  • Sigma SA Mount
  • 790g - 146 x 113 x 80mm
  • Revealed April 2012
  • Replaced the Sigma SD1
Sony a5000
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 269g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
  • Revealed January 2014
  • Older Model is Sony NEX-3N
  • Renewed by Sony a5100
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Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Overview

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.

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Reasons to pick Sigma SD1 Merrill over the Sony a5000

 SD1 Merrill a5000 

Reasons to pick Sony a5000 over the Sigma SD1 Merrill

 a5000 SD1 Merrill 
RevealedJanuary 2014April 2012Fresher by 21 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution461k460kClearer screen (+1k dot)

Common features in the Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony a5000

 SD1 Merrill a5000 
Manually focus Very accurate focus
Screen size3"3"Same screen dimensions
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch screen No Touch screen

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Physical Comparison

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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 size comparison

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

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 top view buttons comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Sensor Comparison

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.

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 sensor size comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Screen and ViewFinder

Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill Portrait photography info
Sony a5000 Portrait photography info
65
manual focus
decent sensor resolution (15 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW files
doesn't have liveview
70
has manual focus
good MP (20MP)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
includes face detect focusing
supports RAW files
cannot use external flash
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Street Comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill Street photography factors
Sony a5000 Street photography factors
57
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW files
environment proof
fixed screen
does not have image stabilization
78
has a tilting screen
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill Sports photography information
Sony a5000 Sports photography information
61
decent sensor resolution (15 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
environment proof
sensor has phase detect auto focus
doesn't have liveview
does not have image stabilization
59
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
includes tracking focus
great battery pack (420 per charge)
very slow continuous shooting (4.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
lacks phase detect AF
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill as a Travel photography camera
Sony a5000 as a Travel photography camera
54
environment proof
decent sensor resolution (15 megapixels)
missing Timelapse mode
screen isn't selfie friendly
78
great battery pack (420 CIPA)
good MP (20 megapixels)
flash built-in
does not posses selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Sigma SD1 Merrill
Landscape photography with Sony a5000
63
manual focus
swap lenses (Sigma SA mount)
screen size is decent (3 inch)
decent sensor resolution (15 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
saves RAW files
environment proof
doesn't have liveview
does not have image stabilization
missing Timelapse mode
77
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
pretty good screen size (3")
good MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
supports RAW files
great battery pack (420 shots)
does not have image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Sigma SD1 Merrill Vlogging features
Sony a5000 Vlogging features
9
no video
32
includes face detect focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
does not posses selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
doesn't have microphone socket
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Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony a5000 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony a5000
 Sigma SD1 MerrillSony Alpha a5000
General Information
Brand Name Sigma Sony
Model Sigma SD1 Merrill Sony Alpha a5000
Class Advanced DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2012-04-10 2014-01-07
Physical type Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Dual True II Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS (Foveon X3) CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 24 x 16mm 23.2 x 15.4mm
Sensor surface area 384.0mm² 357.3mm²
Sensor resolution 15MP 20MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 4800 x 3200 5456 x 3632
Max native ISO 6400 16000
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Sigma SA Sony E
Available lenses 76 121
Crop factor 1.5 1.6
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display diagonal 3 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 460k dots 461k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display tech - TFT LCD with 180 upward tilt
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 96 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.64x -
Features
Min shutter speed - 30s
Max shutter speed - 1/4000s
Continuous shutter rate - 4.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings no built-in flash Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60i/24p), 1440 x 1080 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (25 fps)
Max video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 790 gr (1.74 pounds) 269 gr (0.59 pounds)
Physical dimensions 146 x 113 x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 79
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.8
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.0
DXO Low light score not tested 1089
Other
Battery life - 420 pictures
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom)
Time lapse recording With downloadable app
Storage type Compact Flash (Type I, UDMA compatible) SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots Single Single
Price at release $2,339 $448