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Sony W510 vs Sony A57

Portability
96
Imaging
35
Features
17
Overall
27
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 front
 
Sony SLT-A57 front
Portability
64
Imaging
57
Features
85
Overall
68

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Key Specs

Sony W510
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 26-104mm (F2.8-5.9) lens
  • 119g - 96 x 54 x 20mm
  • Revealed January 2011
Sony A57
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 16000 (Expand to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 618g - 132 x 98 x 81mm
  • Launched September 2012
  • Superseded the Sony A55
  • Replacement is Sony A58
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Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Overview

Let's look a little more in depth at the Sony W510 and Sony A57, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR and both are sold by Sony. There exists a sizable gap among the image resolutions of the W510 (12MP) and A57 (16MP) and the W510 (1/2.3") and A57 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The W510 was released 20 months prior to the A57 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Sony W510 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A57 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the W510 grades vs the A57 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Sony W510 over the Sony A57

 W510 A57 

Reasons to pick Sony A57 over the Sony W510

 A57 W510 
LaunchedSeptember 2012January 2011Fresher by 20 months
Focus manually Dial accurate focusing
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution921k230kSharper display (+691k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Common features in the Sony W510 and Sony A57

 W510 A57 
Touch friendly display Neither offers Touch friendly display

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Sony W510 offers physical dimensions of 96mm x 54mm x 20mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.8") having a weight of 119 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Sony A57 has dimensions of 132mm x 98mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2") having a weight of 618 grams (1.36 lbs).

Check out the Sony W510 and Sony A57 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you choose during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the W510 compared to the A57.

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 size comparison

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the W510 and A57 is 96 and 64 respectively.

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 top view buttons comparison

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing merely by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the W510 and A57.

As you can see, the 2 cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The W510 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A57 will render extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a little more aggressively. The older W510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 sensor size comparison

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Screen and ViewFinder

Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Sony W510 Portrait photography features
Sony A57 Portrait photography features
21
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
cannot use external flash
low resolution (12MP)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
74
you can focus manually
good megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has face detection autofocus
saves RAW formats
Photography Glossary

Street Comparison

Sony W510 as a Street photography camera
Sony A57 as a Street photography camera
57
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen is fixed
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
75
screen can move to multiple angles
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Sony W510
Sports photography with Sony A57
25
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
low resolution (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
78
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
has tracking autofocus
comes with phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Sony W510 Travel photography advice
Sony A57 Travel photography advice
58
built-in flash
quite wide (26mm)
no Time Lapse recording
low resolution (12MP)
display isn't selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
67
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
selfie friendly screen
does not have Timelapse recording
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Landscape Comparison

Sony W510 Landscape photography advice
Sony A57 Landscape photography advice
32
quite wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
focusing manually not possible
cannot swap lens (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
manual exposure not possible
low resolution (12 megapixels)
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
no Time Lapse recording
72
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
good sized screen (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16 megapixels)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
does not have Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Sony W510 Vlogging features
Sony A57 Vlogging features
29
quite wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
display isn't selfie friendly
low video resolution (640 x 480 pixels)
no mic jack
77
selfie friendly screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection autofocus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does have external microphone support
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Sony W510 vs Sony A57 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Sony W510 and Sony A57
 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510Sony SLT-A57
General Information
Brand Name Sony Sony
Model type Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 Sony SLT-A57
Type Ultracompact Entry-Level DSLR
Revealed 2011-01-06 2012-09-13
Physical type Ultracompact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by BIONZ -
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4000 x 3000 4912 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 3200 16000
Maximum boosted ISO - 25600
Lowest native ISO 80 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Total focus points 9 15
Cross type focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Sony/Minolta Alpha
Lens zoom range 26-104mm (4.0x) -
Maximal aperture f/2.8-5.9 -
Macro focusing range 4cm -
Number of lenses - 143
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Type of display Fixed Type Fully Articulated
Display sizing 2.7 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 230k dots 921k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech Clear Photo LCD Xtra Fine TFT drive with TruBlack technology
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440k dots
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.7x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 2 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/1600 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 1.0 frames/s 12.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation - Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance 2.30 m 10.00 m (@ ISO 100)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize - 1/160 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (60p, 24p), 1440 x 1080 (30p), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 640x480 1920x1080
Video data format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 119 gr (0.26 pounds) 618 gr (1.36 pounds)
Dimensions 96 x 54 x 20mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.8") 132 x 98 x 81mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.2")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 75
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.4
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.0
DXO Low light rating not tested 785
Other
Battery life - 550 shots
Form of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID NP-BN1 NP-FM500H
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Duo/Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Duo SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots One One
Retail cost $99 $1,000