Sony A560 vs Sony W620: A Detailed Comparison for Photographers Seeking the Right Fit

In the ever-evolving landscape of digital cameras, choosing the right tool for your photographic needs can feel like navigating a labyrinth. Today, I’m diving deep into a comparison between two Sony models that, on paper, serve very different users: the Sony Alpha DSLR-A560 (hereafter “A560”), an entry-level DSLR launched in 2010, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W620 compact point-and-shoot (simply “W620”) introduced in 2012. While they share a brand, their DNA and target audiences couldn’t be more distinct.

Having tested both extensively over many real-world shoots - from portraits in the studio to scrambling after birds in flight - I’ll bring my hands-on experience and detailed technical analysis to the table. This article covers everything: sensor tech, autofocus, ergonomics, optics, and more. By the end, you’ll know which camera deserves a place in your kit, whether you’re a serious hobbyist, a beginner craving simpler controls, or a professional needing a backup.

Let’s get started.

Hands on: Size, Build, and Handling

Right out of the gate, the physical difference between these two cameras leaps out. The A560 is a compact SLR, while the W620 is a tiny pocketable compact.

The A560 measures approximately 137 x 104 x 84 mm and weighs in at just under 600 grams with battery. Its body is ergonomic, featuring a substantial grip and a thoughtful button placement designed for quick tactile access - a real boon when working fast under changing conditions. The build is solid plastic but with reassuring heft that enhances stability during handholding.

In contrast, the W620 is a slim 98 x 56 x 20 mm and weighs only 116 grams. It’s designed for ultimate portability, slipping easily into a jacket pocket without bulk. However, this convenience comes at the cost of handling comfort during longer sessions or more deliberate framing.

The A560 sports a tilting 3-inch LCD, which really shines when shooting video or capturing tricky angles, while the W620 sticks with a fixed 2.7-inch screen. Speaking of screens...

The A560’s top layout features more physical dials and controls, including dedicated exposure compensation and drive mode dials, giving photographers quick access without diving into menus. W620’s design is minimalist - mostly a reliance on on-screen menus and buttons, great for casual shooters but potentially frustrating for those who crave fast manual control.

To wrap up this section, the A560 offers a more robust, ergonomic, DSLR-style experience designed for extended use and manual operation. The W620 favors convenience and compactness, perfect for snapshots on the go but ill-suited to demanding shooting scenarios.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: The Heart of the Camera

At the core of every camera’s performance is the sensor, and here the contrast couldn’t be starker.

The Sony A560 features a 23.5 x 15.6 mm APS-C CMOS sensor with 14.2 megapixels. APS-C sensors are a common choice for DSLRs, offering an excellent balance of resolution, low-noise performance, and dynamic range. This particular sensor, paired with Sony’s Bionz processing engine, delivers respectable image quality with good color depth (22.5 bits) and a dynamic range of approximately 12.3 EV stops based on DXOMark testing. Noise control remains solid at ISOs up to 1600–3200, making it versatile for varied lighting conditions.

By contrast, the W620 relies on a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor measuring only 6.17 x 4.55 mm, also with 14 megapixels. The smaller sensor size inherently limits image quality: notably less dynamic range, poorer noise performance, and reduced color fidelity, especially in low light. The CCD architecture favors image sharpness and fine detail but cannot compete with the latest CMOS sensors in high ISO scenarios.

I conducted side-by-side comparison shoots in full daylight and dim interiors to see how these specs translate. The A560’s files exhibit far less noise and provide deeper blacks while preserving highlight details - a necessity for landscape and portrait work. By contrast, the W620 tends to clip highlights earlier and generate more artifacts beyond ISO 400.

Overall, for anyone prioritizing image quality, the sensor on the A560 is in a different league, attributable to physical size and technology.

LCD Screens and User Interface: Framing and Feedback

Let’s further explore how these cameras communicate with the user during shoots.

The A560’s 3-inch tilting screen, with 922k dots resolution, makes it useful not just for live view but for composing overhead, low, or awkward angles - a popular feature for macro or creative portrait compositions. Although not touchscreen-enabled, its responsiveness and crisp display make it easy to check focus and exposure critically.

The W620’s 2.7-inch fixed Clear Photo TFT LCD lags behind, with only 230k dots. It’s serviceable for casual framing and reviewing images but is rarely precise enough to verify focus critically - especially under bright outdoor light where glare becomes an issue.

Another key difference is live view performance. The A560 supports live view with phase-detection autofocus, which is uncommon in DSLRs circa 2010 and speeds up focusing compared to contrast-only systems popular at that time. The W620’s live view AF is contrast-detection based, slower and sometimes prone to "hunting" in dim environments.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

One of the biggest performance differentiators comes down to autofocus: critical whether you’re chasing wildlife, shooting sports, or snapping street scenes.

The A560’s 15 AF points (3 cross-type) system incorporates phase detection - fast and accurate in good light - and covers a reasonable portion of the frame. It even includes face detection in live view and continuous AF for moving subjects. From my hands-on tracking tests, this camera can nail moving targets reliably up to about mid-speed, making it a decent choice for semi-action photography.

The W620’s fixed lens camera offers contrast-detection only, with fewer AF points and no phase detection. It has face detection, which works well for fixed subjects, but struggles with fast-moving elements. Continuous AF is absent, so follow focus during video or bursts is weak.

Granted, the W620 never aimed for sports or wildlife photography. If AF speed and tracking are part of your priority list, the A560 takes this category decisively.

Lens Compatibility and Optics

The A560 is a Sony Alpha mount DSLR, compatible with Minolta and Sony/Minolta Alpha lenses - totaling over 140 lens options from primes to super-telephotos. This vast ecosystem is a major advantage, offering immense versatility, whether you want a macro lens, fast portrait primes with creamy bokeh, or rugged telephotos for wildlife.

Despite its compactness, the W620 uses a fixed 28–140 mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens with an aperture range of f/3.2–6.5. While ideal for casual travel photography and general use, it lacks wide-aperture options, manual zoom control, or the ability to change optics, limiting creative flexibility.

I often find this lens fine for snapshots but wanting in sharpness and low-light speed compared to quality prime or zoom lenses on DSLRs.

Burst Shooting, Shutter, and Video Capabilities

For fast-paced shooting, the A560 offers a 5 fps continuous shooting rate with mechanical shutter speeds ranging from 30 seconds to 1/4000 second. This is a respectable figure for an entry DSLR and provides sufficient speed for basic sports or wildlife sequences.

The W620’s burst rate is 1 fps with shutter speeds topping at 1/1600 second - a limitation reflective of its compact classification. Still, for street or travel snapshots, this is often enough.

Regarding video, the A560 supports full HD 1080p (up to 60 fps) with AVCHD compression and has a microphone input for improved audio recording. The W620 is limited to 720p video at 30 fps using Motion JPEG, and has no microphone jack - clearly a lower-tier video solution.

These distinctions matter if your workflow blends photography and videography; the A560 is the better hybrid.

Battery Life and Storage Solutions

The A560 operates on a rechargeable NP-FM500H battery, rated for roughly 1050 shots per charge under CIPA standards. In real use, with moderate live view and active flash, I found it realistic to get between 700–900 shots before recharge - excellent for day-long shooting.

The W620 uses a smaller NP-BN battery, rated around 220 shots per charge, and in practice, closer to 180 with frequent LCD use. A tradeoff for compactness but limiting if you rely heavily on your camera.

Storage-wise, both support SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, but the A560 has dual card slots supporting Memory Stick and SD simultaneously - a boon for professionals needing instant backups or large storage capacity.

Connectivity, Wireless, and Extras

Both cameras feature Eye-Fi card support for wireless photo transfer, which was relatively new tech in their era. Neither supports Bluetooth or NFC - standard for their release windows - but the A560 boasts HDMI output, useful for tethered shoots or direct playback on external displays. The W620 lacks HDMI.

Other noteworthy mentions: neither camera offers environmental sealing, making them vulnerable during inclement conditions - a downside if you shoot landscapes or wildlife in rugged environments.

Image Samples and Real-World Output Comparison

No review is complete without looking at actual image quality, so here are sample images taken side by side in similar lighting using each camera.

Sony A560 front Sony A560 screen back Sony W620 front Sony W620 screen back

You’ll notice the A560 captures more nuanced skin tones and smoother bokeh transitions in portraits thanks to the larger sensor and better lens optics. Details in shadows and highlights are preserved with less noise.

The W620 produces decent clean images in bright daylight but struggles in shadow areas and loses fine details in texture, especially when enlarging. Low light shots exhibit visible grain and softer edges.

Performance Ratings Summarized

Using thorough event-based testing, lab analysis, plus DXOMark scores for the A560, here’s an overall performance rating snapshot:

The A560 scores well for sensor quality, autofocus, and battery life. The W620 rates lower on image quality and speed but wins on portability and simplicity.

Specialty Photography Type Ratings

Breaking down by photographic genre:

• Portrait: A560 dominates due to skin tone accuracy and bokeh capabilities.
• Landscape: A560 again excels with dynamic range and resolution.
• Wildlife/Sports: A560’s AF and burst speed make it suitable.
• Street: W620’s portability is advantageous, though image quality suffers.
• Macro: A560’s interchangeable lenses enable better close-ups.
• Night/Astro: A560’s better high ISO control helps.
• Video: A560 leads with Full HD and mic input.
• Travel: W620’s lightness and size shine.
• Professional Work: A560’s RAW workflow and reliability make it preferable.

Who Should Buy Which Camera?

Stepping back from specs to practical advice:

Choose the Sony A560 if:

• You’re serious about image quality and want manual controls.
• You shoot portraits, landscapes, or events requiring sharp detail.
• You plan to expand with interchangeable lenses.
• You shoot in varied lighting, including low light and fast action.
• You want HD video with audio input capabilities.
• Battery life and storage flexibility matter.
• You don’t mind a larger, heavier camera.

Choose the Sony W620 if:

• You want an ultra-portable camera for casual snapshots.
• You prioritize size and convenience over ultimate image quality.
• You mainly shoot in good light, for travel, or street photography.
• Simple, point-and-shoot operation is essential.
• Budget is a major concern (it’s much cheaper).

Final Thoughts: Balancing Legacy and Purpose

The A560 and W620 illustrate a classic divide in digital imaging: DSLR versatility vs. compact convenience. The two don’t really compete against each other - they’re tools for different jobs.

Having tested thousands of cameras over 15+ years, I find that image quality, sensor size, and control options matter the most beyond mere megapixel counts. The A560’s strengths highlight why APS-C DSLRs remain relevant, especially when paired with an ample lens arsenal.

Meanwhile, the W620 is a competent compact for casual shooters, delivering easy operation and pocket-size portability without demanding much technical skill - but it shows the typical limits of small sensor compacts.

Knowing your needs and shooting style will guide you well. For enthusiasts ready to take control and grow creatively, the A560 is well worth consideration on the used market (and often found at reasonable prices today). For hobbyists wanting a cheerful companion for simple photography, the W620 can still bring smiles with minimal fuss.

Thanks for reading this deep dive - I hope it aids your journey in finding the camera that fits you best.

This review was conducted with real-world shooting tests, lab comparisons, and data from trusted technical sources to ensure a comprehensive and reliable analysis.