Sony A850 vs Sony TX1

Following is a in-depth assessment of the Sony A850 vs Sony TX1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact and both are designed by Sony. There is a crucial difference between the sensor resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and TX1 (10MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and TX1 (1/2.4") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The A850 was manufactured 9 months after the TX1 so they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony TX1 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the A850 matches up versus the TX1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1. The entire galleries are provided at Sony A850 Gallery and Sony TX1 Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Sony A850 features external dimensions of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) while the Sony TX1 has measurements of 94mm x 58mm x 17mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.7") and a weight of 142 grams (0.31 lbs).

Examine the Sony A850 vs Sony TX1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the A850 and the TX1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the A850 and TX1 is 54 and 96 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to see the gap between sensor sizes purely by checking specs. The image below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the A850 and TX1.

All in all, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The A850 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Sony A850 will give extra detail due to its extra 15 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher A850 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.