Sony A500 vs Sony RX1

On this page, we will be contrasting the Sony A500 vs Sony RX1, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are offered by Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the A500 (12MP) and RX1 (24MP) and the A500 (APS-C) and RX1 (Full frame) provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A500 was released 4 years before the RX1 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the A500 scores against the RX1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony A500 Gallery & Sony RX1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and volume. The Sony A500 enjoys outside measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") having a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs) and the Sony RX1 has sizing of 113mm x 65mm x 70mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 482 grams (1.06 lbs).

Look at the Sony A500 vs Sony RX1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the A500 against the RX1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the A500 and RX1 is 63 and 79 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to picture the contrast in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The photograph underneath will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the A500 and RX1.

As you have seen, both cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The A500 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Sony RX1 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 12MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots more aggressively. The older A500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.