Sony A850 vs Sony TX20

Below, we will be matching up the Sony A850 and Sony TX20, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Ultracompact and they are both built by Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and TX20 (16MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and TX20 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The A850 was unveiled 22 months earlier than the TX20 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both cameras come with different body type with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony TX20 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the A850 grades vs the TX20 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX20. The full galleries are viewable at Sony A850 Gallery & Sony TX20 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and size. The Sony A850 enjoys exterior measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") and a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) while the Sony TX20 has specifications of 96mm x 56mm x 18mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 133 grams (0.29 lbs).

Take a look at the Sony A850 and Sony TX20 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the A850 against the TX20.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A850 and TX20 is 54 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading a spec sheet. The visual here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the A850 and TX20.

As you can see, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The A850 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony A850 will deliver more detail having an extra 9MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older A850 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.