Sony A7R vs Sony A500

Following is a detailed assessment of the Sony A7R and Sony A500, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are produced by Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the A7R (36MP) and A500 (12MP) and the A7R (Full frame) and A500 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

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The A7R was manufactured 4 years after the A500 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Sony A7R being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the A7R scores versus the A500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha A7R & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are available at Sony A7R Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Sony A7R enjoys physical measurements of 127mm x 94mm x 48mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 1.9") along with a weight of 465 grams (1.03 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Sony A7R and Sony A500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the A7R against the A500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the A7R and A500 is 78 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, its tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes purely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the A7R and A500.

Clearly, both of those cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The A7R featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony A7R will result in extra detail due to its extra 24 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots way more aggressively. The younger A7R provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.