Sony A850 vs Sony W510

Below, we are reviewing the Sony A850 versus Sony W510, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Ultracompact and they are both sold by Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the A850 (25MP) and W510 (12MP) and the A850 (Full frame) and W510 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The A850 was revealed 8 months before the W510 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony W510 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief summary of how the A850 matches up versus the W510 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510. The full galleries are provided at Sony A850 Gallery & Sony W510 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Sony A850 provides physical measurements of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") along with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs) and the Sony W510 has dimensions of 96mm x 54mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.8") accompanied by a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs).

Check out the Sony A850 versus Sony W510 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the A850 versus the W510.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A850 and W510 is 54 and 96 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions only by reviewing a spec sheet. The pic below will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the A850 and W510.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The A850 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF easier and the Sony A850 will offer extra detail because of its extra 13MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged A850 is going to be behind in sensor technology.