Sony A290 vs Sony A6100

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Sony A290 and Sony A6100, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless and both are produced by Sony. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the A290 (14MP) and A6100 (24MP) but they use the same exact sensor sizes (APS-C).

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The A290 was unveiled 10 years before the A6100 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony A6100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the A290 grades versus the A6100 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 & Sony Alpha a6100. The full galleries are provided at Sony A290 Gallery & Sony A6100 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Sony A290 has got outer measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Sony A6100 has sizing of 120mm x 67mm x 59mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 2.3") accompanied by a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs).

Compare the Sony A290 and Sony A6100 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at the time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the A290 compared to the A6100.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the A290 and A6100 is 66 and 81 respectively.

Often, it's tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The graphic below will give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the A290 and A6100.

As you can tell, both of those cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different resolution. You can expect the Sony A6100 to provide you with greater detail having an extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots far more aggressively. The older A290 will be behind in sensor technology.