Sony A99 II vs Sony A57

Its time to look more in depth at the Sony A99 II vs Sony A57, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are offered by Sony. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the A99 II (42MP) and A57 (16MP) and the A99 II (Full frame) and A57 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The A99 II was announced 4 years later than the A57 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A99 II being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the A99 II grades vs the A57 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha A99 II & Sony SLT-A57. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony A99 II Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Sony A99 II provides physical dimensions of 143mm x 104mm x 76mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.0") and a weight of 849 grams (1.87 lbs) and the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") with a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Compare the Sony A99 II vs Sony A57 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the A99 II and the A57.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the A99 II and A57 is 57 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements just by going through a spec sheet. The visual underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the A99 II and A57.

As you can see, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A99 II using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony A99 II will provide greater detail with its extra 26MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop images more aggressively. The more modern A99 II will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.