Sony A850 vs Sony A77

Below is a in depth comparison of the Sony A850 vs Sony A77, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras and both are manufactured by Sony. The image resolution of the A850 (25MP) and the A77 (24MP) is relatively well matched but the A850 (Full frame) and A77 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The A850 was released 18 months prior to the A77 which makes the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the A850 matches up versus the A77 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 & Sony SLT-A77. The complete galleries are provided at Sony A850 Gallery & Sony A77 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and volume. The Sony A850 provides physical 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 A77 has sizing of 143mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 732 grams (1.61 lbs).

Compare the Sony A850 vs Sony A77 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the A850 and the A77.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the A850 and A77 is 54 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to see the gap between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The graphic here will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the A850 and A77.

As you can tell, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The A850 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Sony A850 will give greater detail as a result of its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a little more aggressively. The older A850 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.