Sony A500 vs Sony RX1R II

Let's look a little more in depth at the Sony A500 and Sony RX1R II, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Large Sensor Compact and both of them are built by Sony. There is a sizeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the A500 (12MP) and RX1R II (42MP) and the A500 (APS-C) and RX1R II (Full frame) boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The A500 was announced 7 years prior to the RX1R II which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony RX1R II being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the A500 matches up against the RX1R II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II. The whole galleries are available at Sony A500 Gallery and Sony RX1R II Gallery.

When you are intending to travel with your camera often, you should factor its weight and size. The Sony A500 comes with physical dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs) whilst the Sony RX1R II has specifications of 113mm x 65mm x 72mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 507 grams (1.12 lbs).

Check out the Sony A500 and Sony RX1R II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the A500 and the RX1R II.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the A500 and RX1R II is 63 and 78 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor dimensions merely by looking through technical specs. The pic underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the A500 and RX1R II.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The A500 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony RX1R II will render extra detail with its extra 30MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged A500 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.