Sony A850 vs Sony RX100 V

Below is a extensive analysis of the Sony A850 and Sony RX100 V, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact and both are produced by Sony. There is a substantial difference between the resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and RX100 V (20MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and RX100 V (1") posses different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The A850 was announced 7 years prior to the RX100 V and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX100 V being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a concise view of how the A850 matches up versus the RX100 V with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V. The whole galleries are provided at Sony A850 Gallery & Sony RX100 V Gallery.

If you are aiming to lug around your camera, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony A850 features external measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) and the Sony RX100 V has dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs).

Look at the Sony A850 and Sony RX100 V in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the A850 compared to the RX100 V.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the A850 and RX100 V is 54 and 89 respectively.

Often, it is tough to visualize the difference between sensor measurements just by reading through a spec sheet. The visual below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the A850 and RX100 V.

As you can see, both of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The A850 with its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Sony A850 will give you extra detail with its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older A850 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.