Sony A290 vs Sony W690

Here is a thorough assessment of the Sony A290 versus Sony W690, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are produced by Sony. The image resolution of the A290 (14MP) and the W690 (16MP) is very well matched but the A290 (APS-C) and W690 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A290 was announced 20 months before the W690 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony W690 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the A290 grades versus the W690 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W690. The whole galleries are available at Sony A290 Gallery & Sony W690 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Sony A290 provides exterior measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) and the Sony W690 has dimensions of 94mm x 56mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A290 versus Sony W690 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that moment. Following is the front view scale comparison of the A290 and the W690.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the A290 and W690 is 66 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to envision the gap between sensor sizing only by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the A290 and W690.

As you can see, both cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The A290 having a larger sensor will make achieving bokeh simpler and the Sony W690 will resolve extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images much more aggressively. The older A290 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.