Sony a3500 vs Sony A99
69 Imaging
63 Features
54 Overall
59


57 Imaging
69 Features
88 Overall
76
Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Revealed March 2014
- Older Model is Sony A3000
(Full Review)
- 24MP - Full frame Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 812g - 147 x 111 x 78mm
- Revealed December 2012
- Old Model is Sony A900
- Replacement is Sony A99 II

Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Overview
On this page, we will be looking at the Sony a3500 vs Sony A99, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR and they are both created by Sony. The sensor resolution of the a3500 (20MP) and the A99 (24MP) is relatively comparable but the a3500 (APS-C) and A99 (Full frame) posses totally different sensor measurements.

The a3500 was released 16 months after the A99 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting straight to a detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the a3500 matches up versus the A99 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Alpha a3500 and Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are viewable at Sony a3500 Gallery and Sony A99 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Sony a3500 over the Sony A99
a3500 | A99 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | March 2014 | ![]() | December 2012 | More modern by 16 months |
Reasons to pick Sony A99 over the Sony a3500
A99 | a3500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
Screen resolution | 1229k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+999k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Sony a3500 and Sony A99
a3500 | A99 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen measurements |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither has Touch friendly screen |
Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Physical Comparison
If you're going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony a3500 has outside dimensions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") along with a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Sony A99 has dimensions of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).
Look at the Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the a3500 and the A99.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the a3500 and A99 is 69 and 57 respectively.

Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is tough to see the gap in sensor sizes only by going through specs. The pic underneath will offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the a3500 and A99.
As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The a3500 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A99 will provide more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The newer a3500 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Sony a3500 vs Sony A99 Specifications
Sony Alpha a3500 | Sony SLT-A99 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Sony | Sony |
Model type | Sony Alpha a3500 | Sony SLT-A99 |
Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
Revealed | 2014-03-21 | 2012-12-12 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | BIONZ image | Bionz |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | Full frame |
Sensor measurements | 23.5 x 15.6mm | 35.8 x 23.8mm |
Sensor area | 366.6mm² | 852.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 20 megapixel | 24 megapixel |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 5456 x 3632 | 6000 x 4000 |
Highest native ISO | 16000 | 25600 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 25 | 19 |
Cross type focus points | - | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Sony E | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Number of lenses | 121 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 1.5 | 1 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dots | 1,229 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | TFT LCD | TFT Xtra Fine color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 2,359 thousand dots |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.47x | 0.71x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 4.0fps | 10.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) | no built-in flash |
Flash settings | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | 1/250 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 (60, 24 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | AVCHD, H.264 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 411 gr (0.91 lb) | 812 gr (1.79 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") | 147 x 111 x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | 89 |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 25.0 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 14.0 |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1555 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 470 photographs | 500 photographs |
Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | NP-FW50 | NP-FM500H |
Self timer | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | - | Memory Stick PRO Duo/Pro-HG Duo; SD, SDHC and SDXC |
Card slots | Single | 2 |
Price at launch | $398 | $1,998 |