Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony W800

On this page, we are evaluating the Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony W800, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Sigma and Sony. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the SD1 Merrill (15MP) and W800 (20MP) and the SD1 Merrill (APS-C) and W800 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SD1 Merrill was launched 22 months prior to the W800 making them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony W800 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise view of how the SD1 Merrill scores versus the W800 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma SD1 Merrill and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. The complete galleries are available at Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery and Sony W800 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor in its weight and volume. The Sigma SD1 Merrill comes with exterior dimensions of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") and a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs) whilst the Sony W800 has sizing of 97mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Sigma SD1 Merrill vs Sony W800 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at that moment. Below is a front view size comparison of the SD1 Merrill vs the W800.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SD1 Merrill and W800 is 57 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it's hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements just by looking through specs. The graphic here might offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SD1 Merrill and W800.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SD1 Merrill due to its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Sony W800 will result in more detail utilizing its extra 5MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older SD1 Merrill will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.