Sony A7 vs Sony A500
78 Imaging
70 Features
80 Overall
74
63 Imaging
51 Features
52 Overall
51
Sony A7 vs Sony A500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 50 - 25600
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 474g - 127 x 94 x 48mm
- Revealed January 2014
- Updated by Sony A7 II
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
- Announced August 2009
- Replacement is Sony A560
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Sony A7 vs Sony A500 Overview
The following is a in-depth overview of the Sony A7 versus Sony A500, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are offered by Sony. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the A7 (24MP) and A500 (12MP) and the A7 (Full frame) and A500 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe A7 was unveiled 4 years after the A500 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Sony A7 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going in to a full comparison, below is a simple summation of how the A7 grades vs the A500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha A7 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are available at Sony A7 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony A7 over the Sony A500
| A7 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | January 2014 | August 2009 | Newer by 54 months | |
| Screen resolution | 1230k | 230k | Clearer screen (+1000k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Sony A7
| A500 | A7 |
|---|
Common features in the Sony A7 and Sony A500
| A7 | A500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial accurate focus | |||
| Screen type | Tilting | Tilting | Tilting screen | |
| Screen dimension | 3" | 3" | Identical screen dimensions | |
| Selfie screen | Neither provides selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | No Touch friendly screen |
Sony A7 vs Sony A500 Physical Comparison
If you're looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and volume. The Sony A7 provides exterior measurements of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") accompanied by a weight of 474 grams (1.04 lbs) while the Sony A500 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).
Check the Sony A7 versus Sony A500 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the A7 against the A500.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the A7 and A500 is 78 and 63 respectively.
Sony A7 vs Sony A500 Sensor Comparison
Usually, it's hard to envision the gap between sensor dimensions simply by checking a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A7 and A500.
As you can see, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The A7 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Sony A7 will give greater detail having an extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs much more aggressively. The fresher A7 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor technology.
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Sony A7 vs Sony A500 Specifications
| Sony Alpha A7 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Sony | Sony |
| Model type | Sony Alpha A7 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 |
| Category | Pro Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Revealed | 2014-01-22 | 2009-08-27 |
| Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Bionz X | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Full frame | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 35.8 x 23.9mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 855.6mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 24 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Max resolution | 6000 x 4000 | 4272 x 2848 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
| Min native ISO | 50 | 200 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 117 | 9 |
| Cross type focus points | 25 | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Sony E | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Number of lenses | 121 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Tilting | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Display resolution | 1,230 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display tech | Xtra Fine LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,359 thousand dots | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.71x | 0.53x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 5.0 frames/s | 5.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m |
| Flash settings | no built-in flash | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30p) | - |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | None |
| Video format | MPEG-4, AVCHD | - |
| Microphone port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Built-In | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 474 gr (1.04 pounds) | 630 gr (1.39 pounds) |
| Dimensions | 127 x 94 x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") | 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall rating | 90 | 64 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 24.8 | 21.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 14.2 | 11.6 |
| DXO Low light rating | 2248 | 772 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 340 shots | 520 shots |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | NP-FW50 | NP-FM500H |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec; continuous (3 or 5 exposures)) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse recording | With downloadable app | |
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | One | One |
| Retail pricing | $798 | $638 |