Sony A390 vs Sony RX1R

In this write-up, we will be reviewing the Sony A390 and Sony RX1R, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and they are both manufactured by Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the A390 (14MP) and RX1R (24MP) and the A390 (APS-C) and RX1R (Full frame) possess different sensor sizes.

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The A390 was announced 3 years before the RX1R and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX1R being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a simple summary of how the A390 scores against the RX1R in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R. The whole galleries are available at Sony A390 Gallery and Sony RX1R Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you should factor in its weight and size. The Sony A390 has external measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") having a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs) while the Sony RX1R has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Check out the Sony A390 and Sony RX1R in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the A390 versus the RX1R.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A390 and RX1R is 66 and 79 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements merely by checking specs. The visual here may give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A390 and RX1R.

All in all, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A390 using its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony RX1R will give you more detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The older A390 is going to be behind in sensor technology.