Sony RX100 IV vs Sony A57

Below is a in depth comparison of the Sony RX100 IV and Sony A57, former being a Large Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR and both of them are produced by Sony. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the RX100 IV (20MP) and A57 (16MP) and the RX100 IV (1") and A57 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The RX100 IV was launched 2 years later than the A57 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Sony RX100 IV being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a full comparison, here is a simple overview of how the RX100 IV grades vs the A57 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 IV & Sony SLT-A57. The complete galleries are provided at Sony RX100 IV Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Sony RX100 IV offers outside dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") along with a weight of 298 grams (0.66 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has measurements of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") and a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Analyze the Sony RX100 IV and Sony A57 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is a front view scale comparison of the RX100 IV against the A57.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the RX100 IV and A57 is 89 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements just by checking out specs. The photograph below should offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the RX100 IV and A57.

All in all, the two cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The RX100 IV due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony RX100 IV will provide greater detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop photographs more aggressively. The more modern RX100 IV will have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.