Sony A390 vs Sony RX100 VA

Let's examine more closely at the Sony A390 versus Sony RX100 VA, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the A390 (14MP) and RX100 VA (20MP) and the A390 (APS-C) and RX100 VA (1") possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The A390 was introduced 9 years before the RX100 VA and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the A390 scores against the RX100 VA in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A). The whole galleries are available at Sony A390 Gallery & Sony RX100 VA Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you will have to factor its weight and volume. The Sony A390 has got physical 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) while the Sony RX100 VA has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") and a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A390 versus Sony RX100 VA in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the A390 compared to the RX100 VA.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A390 and RX100 VA is 66 and 89 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to envision the contrast between sensor measurements only by checking specifications. The visual here will provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the A390 and RX100 VA.

To sum up, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A390 with its bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF less difficult and the Sony RX100 VA will resolve extra detail using its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The older A390 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.