Sony a3500 vs Sony W730
69 Imaging
62 Features
54 Overall
58


96 Imaging
39 Features
33 Overall
36
Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Released March 2014
- Succeeded the Sony A3000
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-224mm (F3.3-6.3) lens
- 122g - 93 x 52 x 22mm
- Released January 2013

Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Overview
Below is a complete review of the Sony a3500 and Sony W730, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Sony. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the a3500 (20MP) and W730 (16MP) and the a3500 (APS-C) and W730 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizing.

The a3500 was announced 15 months later than the W730 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W730 being a Compact camera.
Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the a3500 grades vs the W730 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Gallery
The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Sony Alpha a3500 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W730. The whole galleries are viewable at Sony a3500 Gallery and Sony W730 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony a3500 over the Sony W730
a3500 | W730 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Released | March 2014 | ![]() | January 2013 | More recent by 15 months |
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Reasons to pick Sony W730 over the Sony a3500
W730 | a3500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Common features in the Sony a3500 and Sony W730
a3500 | W730 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Same display resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen |
Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera, you should consider its weight and size. The Sony a3500 comes with outside measurements of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony W730 has specifications of 93mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 122 grams (0.27 lbs).
Check out the Sony a3500 and Sony W730 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the a3500 against the W730.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the a3500 and W730 is 69 and 96 respectively.

Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, its hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements simply by going through specs. The photograph underneath will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the a3500 and W730.
All in all, both the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The a3500 using its larger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh less difficult and the Sony a3500 will show extra detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images more aggressively. The fresher a3500 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.

Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Sony a3500 vs Sony W730 Specifications
Sony Alpha a3500 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W730 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Sony | Sony |
Model | Sony Alpha a3500 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W730 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Small Sensor Compact |
Released | 2014-03-21 | 2013-01-08 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | BIONZ image | - |
Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | APS-C | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 366.6mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 5456 x 3632 | 4608 x 3456 |
Max native ISO | 16000 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 25 | - |
Cross focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Sony E | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 25-224mm (9.0x) |
Maximal aperture | - | f/3.3-6.3 |
Macro focus range | - | 5cm |
Amount of lenses | 121 | - |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 3 inches | 2.7 inches |
Display resolution | 230k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | TFT LCD | TFT LCD display |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.47x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 30 seconds | 2 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/1600 seconds |
Continuous shutter rate | 4.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) | 2.80 m |
Flash options | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync, Advanced Flash |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | AVCHD, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 411g (0.91 pounds) | 122g (0.27 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") | 93 x 52 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 470 pictures | 240 pictures |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | NP-FW50 | NP-BN |
Self timer | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | - | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at release | $398 | $138 |