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Sony A500 vs Sony WX220

Portability
63
Imaging
52
Features
52
Overall
52
Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220 front
Portability
96
Imaging
43
Features
41
Overall
42

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Key Specs

Sony A500
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 630g - 137 x 104 x 84mm
  • Introduced August 2009
  • Refreshed by Sony A560
Sony WX220
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-250mm (F3.3-5.9) lens
  • 121g - 92 x 52 x 22mm
  • Introduced February 2014
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Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Overview

In this article, we are looking at the Sony A500 vs Sony WX220, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact and both are created by Sony. There exists a significant gap among the image resolutions of the A500 (12MP) and WX220 (18MP) and the A500 (APS-C) and WX220 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The A500 was announced 5 years earlier than the WX220 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony WX220 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise view of how the A500 matches up vs the WX220 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony A500 over the Sony WX220

 A500 WX220 
Manual focus Dial exact focus
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Reasons to pick Sony WX220 over the Sony A500

 WX220 A500 
IntroducedFebruary 2014August 2009Fresher by 54 months
Display resolution460k230kCrisper display (+230k dot)

Common features in the Sony A500 and Sony WX220

 A500 WX220 
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display sizing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch display Lacking Touch display

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Physical Comparison

In case you're looking to carry your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Sony A500 provides exterior measurements 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 WX220 has measurements of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 121 grams (0.27 lbs).

Contrast the Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the A500 compared to the WX220.

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A500 and WX220 is 63 and 96 respectively.

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 top view buttons comparison

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Sensor Comparison

Typically, its difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing simply by seeing specifications. The graphic here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A500 and WX220.

To sum up, both of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A500 with its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Sony WX220 will show more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a little more aggressively. The older A500 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 sensor size comparison

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony A500 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony WX220 as a Portrait photography camera
63
you can focus manually
nice sensor size (APS-C)
features face detection autofocus
exports RAW formats
low MP (12 megapixels)
37
megapixel count decent (18 megapixels)
features face detection focus
manual focus not available
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Sony A500
Street photography with Sony WX220
74
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
59
built in image stabilization (Optical)
no articulating screen
small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sony A500 Sports photography details
Sony WX220 Sports photography details
51
image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect autofocus
painfully slow continuous shooting (5.0 fps)
low MP (12 megapixels)
bad battery power (520 CIPA)
46
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (18 megapixels)
features tracking autofocus
no shutter priority mode
small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Sony A500 Travel photography advice
Sony WX220 Travel photography advice
43
has built in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse function
bad battery power (520 per charge)
low MP (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
69
megapixel count decent (18MP)
has built in flash
really wide (25mm)
very long zoom (250mm)
missing Time Lapse function
does not feature selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony A500 Landscape photography features
Sony WX220 Landscape photography features
60
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
low MP (12 megapixels)
bad battery power (520 shots)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
44
really wide (25mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (18MP)
manual focus not available
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
manual exposure not possible
small sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
missing Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony A500 Vlogging factors
Sony WX220 Vlogging factors
9
no video shooting
34
really wide (25mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focus
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 pxls)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
missing external mic port
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Sony A500 vs Sony WX220 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony A500 and Sony WX220
 Sony Alpha DSLR-A500Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220
General Information
Company Sony Sony
Model Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX220
Class Entry-Level DSLR Ultracompact
Introduced 2009-08-27 2014-02-12
Body design Compact SLR Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Powered by Bionz Bionz X
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.5 x 15.6mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 366.6mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 18MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 4272 x 2848 4896 x 3672
Highest native ISO 12800 12800
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 9 -
Lens
Lens mounting type Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens focal range - 25-250mm (10.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.3-5.9
Number of lenses 143 -
Crop factor 1.5 5.8
Screen
Range of screen Tilting Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.53x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30s 4s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed 5.0fps 10.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 12.00 m 3.70 m (with Auto ISO)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless Auto, on, slow synchro, off, advanced
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 630g (1.39 lb) 121g (0.27 lb)
Dimensions 137 x 104 x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") 92 x 52 x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 64 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 11.6 not tested
DXO Low light score 772 not tested
Other
Battery life 520 shots 210 shots
Battery form Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model NP-FM500H NP-BN
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, portrait)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Storage slots One One
Pricing at release $638 $198