Sony A290 vs Sony HX20V

Lets take a more detailed look at the Sony A290 vs Sony HX20V, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are built by Sony. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the A290 (14MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the A290 (APS-C) and HX20V (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A290 was unveiled 3 years before the HX20V and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief overview of how the A290 scores against the HX20V when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The full galleries are available at Sony A290 Gallery & Sony HX20V Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Sony A290 features exterior measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Sony HX20V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Check out the Sony A290 vs Sony HX20V in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the A290 vs the HX20V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the A290 and HX20V is 66 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to see the contrast between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the A290 and HX20V.

As you can see, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The A290 using its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony HX20V will offer you more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics way more aggressively. The older A290 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.