Sony RX100 VA vs Sony W290

Below is a extended review of the Sony RX100 VA vs Sony W290, one being a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are designed by Sony. There exists a huge gap between the resolutions of the RX100 VA (20MP) and W290 (12MP) and the RX100 VA (1") and W290 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The RX100 VA was released 9 years later than the W290 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Sony RX100 VA being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sony W290 being a Compact camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a simple summary of how the RX100 VA matches up versus the W290 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 V(A) and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290. The complete galleries are provided at Sony RX100 VA Gallery and Sony W290 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony RX100 VA comes with physical measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 41mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.6") and a weight of 299 grams (0.66 lbs) and the Sony W290 has dimensions of 98mm x 57mm x 23mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

See the Sony RX100 VA vs Sony W290 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the RX100 VA and the W290.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the RX100 VA and W290 is 89 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by reviewing specifications. The graphic here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the RX100 VA and W290.

Plainly, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The RX100 VA because of its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Sony RX100 VA will offer you more detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The younger RX100 VA will have a benefit in sensor innovation.