Sony A7 vs Sony A57

Below is a complete comparison of the Sony A7 versus Sony A57, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are produced by Sony. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the A7 (24MP) and A57 (16MP) and the A7 (Full frame) and A57 (APS-C) possess different sensor measurements.

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The A7 was unveiled 17 months later than the A57 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Sony A7 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the A7 matches up vs the A57 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha A7 & Sony SLT-A57. The full galleries are viewable at Sony A7 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to take into account its weight and size. The Sony A7 comes with external measurements of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") and a weight of 474 grams (1.04 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has specifications of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") along with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

See the Sony A7 versus Sony A57 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the A7 against the A57.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the A7 and A57 is 78 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A7 and A57.

As you can see, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The A7 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony A7 will offer extra detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The newer A7 should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.