Sony A290 vs Sony HX300

Let's look more in depth at the Sony A290 versus Sony HX300, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and they are both built by Sony. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the A290 (14MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the A290 (APS-C) and HX300 (1/2.3") boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A290 was introduced 3 years before the HX300 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple view of how the A290 scores vs the HX300 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The whole galleries are available at Sony A290 Gallery & Sony HX300 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Sony A290 features outer dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") along with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) whilst the Sony HX300 has proportions of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Compare the Sony A290 versus Sony HX300 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the A290 versus the HX300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A290 and HX300 is 66 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by looking through specs. The visual underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the A290 and HX300.

All in all, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A290 with its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony HX300 will provide you with extra detail using its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older A290 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.