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Sony A300 vs Sony a5000

Portability
64
Imaging
49
Features
45
Overall
47
Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 front
 
Sony Alpha a5000 front
Portability
89
Imaging
62
Features
62
Overall
62

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Key Specs

Sony A300
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.7" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 632g - 131 x 99 x 75mm
  • Revealed January 2008
  • Successor is Sony A330
Sony a5000
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 16000
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 269g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
  • Introduced January 2014
  • Previous Model is Sony NEX-3N
  • Refreshed by Sony a5100
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Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Overview

Let's look more closely at the Sony A300 versus Sony a5000, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both are created by Sony. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the A300 (10MP) and a5000 (20MP) but they enjoy the exact same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The A300 was brought out 7 years earlier than the a5000 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony a5000 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a concise summation of how the A300 scores vs the a5000 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Sony A300 over the Sony a5000

 A300 a5000 

Reasons to pick Sony a5000 over the Sony A300

 a5000 A300 
IntroducedJanuary 2014January 2008Newer by 72 months
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution461k230kSharper screen (+231k dot)

Common features in the Sony A300 and Sony a5000

 A300 a5000 
Focus manually Dial exact focusing
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch screen Neither offers Touch screen

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Physical Comparison

When you are going to travel with your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Sony A300 offers exterior dimensions of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony a5000 has proportions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") along with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A300 versus Sony a5000 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Here is the front view dimension comparison of the A300 compared to the a5000.

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the A300 and a5000 is 64 and 89 respectively.

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 top view buttons comparison

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it is hard to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions simply by viewing technical specs. The picture underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the A300 and a5000.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can count on the Sony a5000 to render extra detail having its extra 10MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged A300 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 sensor size comparison

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A300 Portrait photography details
Sony a5000 Portrait photography details
59
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
70
has manual focus
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
features face detect focusing
saves RAW formats
external flash not possible
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Street Comparison

Sony A300 as a Street photography camera
Sony a5000 as a Street photography camera
74
tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
78
screen tilts
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sony A300 Sports photography factors
Sony a5000 Sports photography factors
54
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
has phase detect AF
max fps very slow (3.0 frames per second)
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
59
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
features tracking focus
good battery (420 CIPA)
continuous shooting slow (4.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Sony A300 Travel photography information
Sony a5000 Travel photography information
45
has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse function
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
78
good battery (420 shots)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
has built in flash
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A300 Landscape photography advice
Sony a5000 Landscape photography advice
57
has manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
small screen (2.7 inch)
sensor resolution not great (10 megapixels)
doesn't have Timelapse function
77
has manual focus
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3 inches)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
good battery (420 shots)
no image stabilization
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A300 Vlogging advice
Sony a5000 Vlogging advice
9
no video shooting
32
features face detect focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
no microphone support
Photography Glossary

Sony A300 vs Sony a5000 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A300 and Sony a5000
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A300Sony Alpha a5000
General Information
Make Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha DSLR-A300 Sony Alpha a5000
Category Entry-Level DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2008-01-30 2014-01-07
Physical type Compact SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Bionz X
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor measurements 23.6 x 15.8mm 23.2 x 15.4mm
Sensor area 372.9mm² 357.3mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3872 x 2592 5456 x 3632
Highest native ISO 3200 16000
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW files
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 9 25
Lens
Lens support Sony/Minolta Alpha Sony E
Total lenses 143 121
Crop factor 1.5 1.6
Screen
Type of screen Tilting Tilting
Screen diagonal 2.7 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230 thousand dots 461 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Screen tech - TFT LCD with 180 upward tilt
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.49x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 3.0 frames per sec 4.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 4.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, Red-Eye, Slow, Red-Eye Slow, Rear curtain, wireless Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Rear Sync., Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60i/24p), 1440 x 1080 (25 fps), 640 x 480 (25 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 632g (1.39 pounds) 269g (0.59 pounds)
Dimensions 131 x 99 x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 64 79
DXO Color Depth rating 22.5 23.8
DXO Dynamic range rating 11.4 13.0
DXO Low light rating 538 1089
Other
Battery life - 420 photos
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID - NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom)
Time lapse shooting With downloadable app
Storage type Compact Flash SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo
Card slots Single Single
Price at launch $0 $448