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Sony a5100 vs Sony W290

Portability
89
Imaging
66
Features
74
Overall
69
Sony Alpha a5100 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
28
Overall
32

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Key Specs

Sony a5100
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 283g - 110 x 63 x 36mm
  • Revealed August 2014
  • Succeeded the Sony a5000
Sony W290
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.3-5.2) lens
  • 167g - 98 x 57 x 23mm
  • Released February 2009
Photography Glossary

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Overview

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Sony a5100 versus Sony W290, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and they are both created by Sony. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the a5100 (24MP) and W290 (12MP) and the a5100 (APS-C) and W290 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

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The a5100 was manufactured 5 years later than the W290 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the a5100 matches up vs the W290 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Sony a5100 over the Sony W290

 a5100 W290 
ReleasedAugust 2014February 2009More recent by 67 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display resolution922k230kClearer display (+692k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Sony W290 over the Sony a5100

 W290 a5100 

Common features in the Sony a5100 and Sony W290

 a5100 W290 
Manual focus Very accurate focusing
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display measurement
Selfie screen Neither contains selfie screen

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Sony a5100 has got outer dimensions of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") with a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs) while the Sony W290 has specifications of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") and a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Analyze the Sony a5100 versus Sony W290 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the a5100 and the W290.

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the a5100 and W290 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 top view buttons comparison

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements only by looking at specifications. The graphic underneath may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the a5100 and W290.

Plainly, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The a5100 featuring a larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony a5100 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern a5100 is going to have an edge in sensor innovation.

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 sensor size comparison

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony a5100 Portrait photography highlights
Sony W290 Portrait photography highlights
72
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
comes with face detect focus
supports RAW formats
external flash not possible
27
focusing manually
manual mode not possible
external flash not possible
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Sony a5100 as a Street photography camera
Sony W290 as a Street photography camera
82
screen tilts
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
provides focus via touch
great high ISO (25,600)
lack of image stabilization
56
built in image stabilization (Optical)
screen is fixed
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sony a5100 Sports photography factors
Sony W290 Sports photography factors
68
sensor resolution is decent (24 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
comes with tracking focus
better than average battery pack (400 per charge)
comes with phase detect auto focus
slow fps (6.0 fps)
lack of image stabilization
25
built in image stabilization (Optical)
max fps very slow (2.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
megapixel count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Sony a5100 as a Travel photography camera
Sony W290 as a Travel photography camera
80
better than average battery pack (400 per charge)
provides focus via touch
sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
has built in flash
screen is not selfie friendly
57
built-in flash
quite wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
does not feature selfie friendly display
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
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Landscape Comparison

Sony a5100 as a Landscape photography camera
Sony W290 as a Landscape photography camera
79
focusing manually
swap lenses (Sony E mount)
decent sized screen (3")
sensor resolution is decent (24MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
great high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW formats
better than average battery pack (400 shots)
lack of image stabilization
41
focusing manually
quite wide (28mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
manual mode not possible
megapixel count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Sony a5100
Vlogging with Sony W290
34
touchscreen capability
comes with face detect focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
screen is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
does not have mic support
28
quite wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
does not feature selfie friendly display
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have external mic port
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Sony a5100 vs Sony W290 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony a5100 and Sony W290
 Sony Alpha a5100Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290
General Information
Company Sony Sony
Model type Sony Alpha a5100 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290
Category Entry-Level Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2014-08-17 2009-02-17
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Chip Bionz X -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size APS-C 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 23.5 x 15.6mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 366.6mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 24MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 and 16:9 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Max resolution 6000 x 4000 4000 x 3000
Max native ISO 25600 3200
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 179 9
Lens
Lens support Sony E fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.3-5.2
Macro focusing range - 10cm
Amount of lenses 121 -
Crop factor 1.5 5.8
Screen
Range of display Tilting Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 922k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None None
Features
Min shutter speed 30 secs 2 secs
Max shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shutter speed 6.0 frames per second 2.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 4.00 m (at ISO 100) 3.90 m
Flash settings Flash off, auto, fill-flaw, slow sync, redeye reduction Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p, 25p), 1280 x 720 (120p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p) 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, AVCHD, XAVC S MPEG-4
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 283g (0.62 lb) 167g (0.37 lb)
Physical dimensions 110 x 63 x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") 98 x 57 x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 80 not tested
DXO Color Depth rating 23.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.7 not tested
DXO Low light rating 1347 not tested
Other
Battery life 400 shots -
Battery form Battery Pack -
Battery ID NP-FW50 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, continuous (3-5 shot)) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature With downloadable app
Type of storage SD/ SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal
Storage slots Single Single
Retail price $448 $230