Sony W510 vs Sony A57

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.

Photography Glossary

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.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 & Sony SLT-A57. The complete galleries are available at Sony W510 Gallery & Sony A57 Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.