Sony A100 vs Sony W800

Below is a extensive comparison of the Sony A100 versus Sony W800, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the A100 (10MP) and W800 (20MP) and the A100 (APS-C) and W800 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The A100 was revealed 8 years prior to the W800 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W800 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief summary of how the A100 scores against the W800 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W800. The full galleries are available at Sony A100 Gallery and Sony W800 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you have to consider its weight and measurements. The Sony A100 has got physical dimensions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs) while the Sony W800 has proportions of 97mm x 55mm x 21mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.8") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Compare the Sony A100 versus Sony W800 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select at the time. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the A100 versus the W800.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the A100 and W800 is 64 and 96 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements merely by viewing technical specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the A100 and W800.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A100 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF simpler and the Sony W800 will provide you with greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The older A100 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.