Sony W220 vs Sony A99

Lets look more in depth at the Sony W220 and Sony A99, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR and they are both sold by Sony. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the W220 (12MP) and A99 (24MP) and the W220 (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The W220 was introduced 4 years earlier than the A99 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Sony W220 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the W220 grades against the A99 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W220 and Sony SLT-A99. The whole galleries are provided at Sony W220 Gallery and Sony A99 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Sony W220 provides external dimensions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") having a weight of 147 grams (0.32 lbs) while the Sony A99 has measurements of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") with a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

Compare the Sony W220 and Sony A99 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use during that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the W220 against the A99.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the W220 and A99 is 95 and 57 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizing merely by seeing technical specs. The graphic underneath will help offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the W220 and A99.

As you can tell, both of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The W220 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A99 will provide extra detail using its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older W220 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.