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Sony a1 vs Sony W230

Portability
61
Imaging
82
Features
93
Overall
86
Sony Alpha a1 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 front
Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
25
Overall
31

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Key Specs

Sony a1
(Full Review)
  • 50MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 32000 (Boost to 102400)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 7680 x 4320 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 737g - 129 x 97 x 70mm
  • Revealed January 2021
Sony W230
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 30-120mm (F2.8-5.8) lens
  • 156g - 95 x 57 x 22mm
  • Released February 2009
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Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Overview

The following is a in-depth assessment of the Sony a1 and Sony W230, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Sony. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the a1 (50MP) and W230 (12MP) and the a1 (Full frame) and W230 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor measurements.

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The a1 was released 12 years after the W230 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony a1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W230 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the a1 scores versus the W230 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Sony a1 over the Sony W230

 a1 W230 
ReleasedJanuary 2021February 2009Newer by 146 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen resolution1440k230kClearer screen (+1210k dot)
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Sony W230 over the Sony a1

 W230 a1 

Common features in the Sony a1 and Sony W230

 a1 W230 
Focus manually More accurate focusing
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurements
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Physical Comparison

When you are looking to travel with your camera often, you should take into account its weight and measurements. The Sony a1 has exterior dimensions of 129mm x 97mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 737 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Sony W230 has proportions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check out the Sony a1 and Sony W230 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the a1 against the W230.

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the a1 and W230 is 61 and 95 respectively.

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 top view buttons comparison

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor dimensions simply by going through specs. The picture underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the a1 and W230.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The a1 featuring a bigger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Sony a1 will produce more detail as a result of its extra 38MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The younger a1 is going to have an advantage in sensor technology.

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 sensor size comparison

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony a1 Portrait photography information
Sony W230 Portrait photography information
89
has manual focus
high flash sync speed (1/400s)
high resolution (50MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports face detection focusing
delivers RAW formats
27
manual focus
manual exposure not possible
can't use external flash
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Sony a1 Street photography details
Sony W230 Street photography details
79
has a tilting screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
delivers RAW formats
comes with touch focus
weather proof
very good ISO range (32,000)
57
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed screen
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sony a1 Sports photography highlights
Sony W230 Sports photography highlights
91
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
quiet mode (1/32,000s)
max fps high (30.0 frames/s)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
high resolution (50 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
supports tracking autofocus
weather proof
good battery life (530 shots)
comes with phase detect AF
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
max fps low (2.0 fps)
no shutter priority
sensor resolution low (12MP)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Sony a1 Travel photography highlights
Sony W230 Travel photography highlights
74
good battery life (530 CIPA)
weather proof
supports bluetooth
comes with touch focus
high resolution (50 megapixels)
does not have selfie friendly display
51
flash built-in
missing Timelapse function
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not the best (30mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Sony a1
Landscape photography with Sony W230
88
has manual focus
switch lenses (Sony E mount)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
high resolution (50MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
very good ISO range (32,000)
delivers RAW formats
weather proof
good battery life (530 CIPA)
has double storage slots
37
manual focus
screen is a good size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (30mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
manual exposure not possible
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format
missing Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony a1 Vlogging information
Sony W230 Vlogging information
37
screen is touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection focusing
video resolution high (7680 x 4320 pxls)
does have external mic port
does not have selfie friendly display
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not the best (30mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
display is not selfie friendly
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
missing microphone jack
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Sony a1 vs Sony W230 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony a1 and Sony W230
 Sony Alpha a1Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230
General Information
Brand Name Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha a1 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230
Type Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2021-01-26 2009-02-17
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CCD
Sensor size Full frame 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 35.9 x 24mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 861.6mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 50MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 8640 x 5760 4000 x 3000
Maximum native ISO 32000 3200
Maximum enhanced ISO 102400 -
Minimum native ISO 100 80
RAW data
Minimum enhanced ISO 50 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 759 9
Lens
Lens support Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 30-120mm (4.0x)
Highest aperture - f/2.8-5.8
Macro focusing distance - 4cm
Total lenses 133 -
Focal length multiplier 1 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 1,440k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 9,437k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.9x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 30 seconds 1 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1600 seconds
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shutter speed 30.0 frames per second 2.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 3.90 m
Flash options Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/400 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 7680x4320 (30p, 25p, 23.98) 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 7680x4320 640x480
Video format XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265 Motion JPEG
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB Yes USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 737g (1.62 lb) 156g (0.34 lb)
Physical dimensions 129 x 97 x 70mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") 95 x 57 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 530 photographs -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery ID NP-FZ100 -
Self timer Yes Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media Dual SD/CFexpress Type A slots (UHS-II supported) Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots Dual Single
Cost at release $6,498 $180