Sony A500 vs Sony HX300

Here, we will be matching up the Sony A500 and Sony HX300, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both of them are built by Sony. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the A500 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) and the A500 (APS-C) and HX300 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizing.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The A500 was released 4 years before the HX300 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick view of how the A500 scores vs the HX300 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The complete galleries are available at Sony A500 Gallery and Sony HX300 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Sony A500 has got external dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs) while the Sony HX300 has measurements of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") and a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

See the Sony A500 and Sony HX300 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the A500 vs the HX300.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the A500 and HX300 is 63 and 63 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing simply by going through specifications. The photograph below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the A500 and HX300.

Plainly, both of those cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A500 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony HX300 will show greater detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older A500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.