Sony A100 vs Sony W290

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Sony A100 and Sony W290, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are created by Sony. The image resolution of the A100 (10MP) and the W290 (12MP) is pretty close but the A100 (APS-C) and W290 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The A100 was launched 3 years before the W290 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief introduction of how the A100 matches up against the W290 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The complete galleries are provided at Sony A100 Gallery & Sony W290 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Sony A100 provides external dimensions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs) while the Sony W290 has sizing of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony A100 and Sony W290 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the A100 against the W290.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A100 and W290 is 64 and 94 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to see the gap in sensor sizes merely by researching a spec sheet. The pic underneath might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the A100 and W290.

As you can see, the 2 cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The A100 due to its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Sony W290 will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The more aged A100 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.