Sony A290 vs Sony HX80

Lets look more closely at the Sony A290 and Sony HX80, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Sony. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the A290 (14MP) and HX80 (18MP) and the A290 (APS-C) and HX80 (1/2.3") posses different sensor sizes.

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The A290 was revealed 6 years before the HX80 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony HX80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief view of how the A290 scores against the HX80 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80. The full galleries are provided at Sony A290 Gallery and Sony HX80 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Sony A290 has outside dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony HX80 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 245 grams (0.54 lbs).

See the Sony A290 and Sony HX80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the A290 versus the HX80.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the A290 and HX80 is 66 and 91 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the A290 and HX80.

Clearly, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The A290 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony HX80 will offer you greater detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged A290 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.