Sony a3500
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Introduced March 2014
- Superseded the Sony A3000
- Read full specs
- Alternatives
- Lenses
- Size Comparison
- FAQ
69 Imaging
63 Features
54 Overall
59
Sony a3500 summary
Sony a3500 is Sony's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera initially revealed on March of 2014. The camera includes a 20MP, CMOS APS-C sized sensor and has a max resolution of 5456 x 3632.
Sony launched this camera as a way to update the previous Sony A3000 (Read Full Comparison)
The a3500 comes in at #64 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras and over-all #322 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should try out our Smart camera finder to get camera listings based on your custom requirements.
The following is a diagram of specific factors used in the rating system.
Sony a3500 family
The Sony a3500 is part of a family of products. You can read the detailed range underneath.
Sony a3500 Gallery
You can check the a3500 from several angles in the gallery here.
Sony a3500 Pros and Cons
Below is a collection of advantages and disadvantages of the Sony a3500 based on aspects which are normally considered important in a camera.
Sony a3500 Sensor details
The Sony a3500 is powered by the BIONZ image processor chip. The sensor spec on the Sony a3500 is 23.5mm x 15.6mm (APS-C). The 367 mm² sensor can capture 5456 x 3632 pixels and aspect ratios of 3:2 and 16:9.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modesThe CMOS sensor boasts 20 megapixels and features a native ISO range of 100 to 16000. RAW format is supported which means that you have wider room to maneuver in post.
The graphic underneath illustrates the a3500's sensor dimensions when compared to other common sizes. The a3500 sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.5 and is showcased in green.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoTo get a sense of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.
Sony a3500 dimensions
Sony a3500 weighs about 0.91 lbs (411 grams / 14.50 oz) and features external proportions of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3"). The weight of typical Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329 grams and the Sony a3500 is heavier when compared to its rivals.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideDown below is a picture of the Sony a3500 beside a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its scale.
The top view just below will highlight the button layout on the a3500.
Sony a3500 Lens specs
The a3500 fits the Sony E mount and has 170 lenses that you can buy. Below is a small number of the lenses we have in our database which will work with the a3500.
Sony a3500 Connectivity
The a3500 has the following connectivity:
- USB Yes
- HDMI Yes
Digital cameras that come with NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly via smartphones. You will be able to copy pictures and sometimes adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.
Several applications even give a Liveview and hit the shutter when you are not close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external display. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack through the USB socket.
Sony a3500 Video specs
The max video quality on the Sony a3500 is 1920 x 1080 and it can shoot in AVCHD and H.264 format. 1080p quality delivers a great balance for quality vs file sizes but 1080p won't give you much room to crop. The camera does not have a mic and / or headphone jack which means you get little control over your audio. It is probably best to have a look at another model in case you need good audio in your video clips.
Sony a3500 Weather Sealing
There is no environment proofing for the Sony a3500 so you need to be careful in wet and dusty conditions.
Sony a3500 Display and Viewfinder
The Sony a3500 includes a 3 inch fixed screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.
Unfortunately the screen is not a touch screen.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next monthThe ViewFinder specifications regarding Sony a3500 are as follows:
- ViewFinder Electronic
- ViewFinder Coverage 100%
- ViewFinder Magnification 0.47x
Viewfinders are really handy for sunny outdoor conditions which will make the camera display washed out and hard to view.
Sony a3500 Shutter specs
Sony a3500 continuous shooting rate is 4.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.
Sony a3500 Flash and Hot shoe specs
Sony a3500 boasts both inbuilt flash and also external flash support. The highest flash sync is 1/160 seconds.
Sony a3500 Autofocusing specs
Sony a3500 boasts just Contrast Detect Autofocus and is missing Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster & precise when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera includes Face detect which can be helpful for taking photos of people.
The Sensor includes 25 focus points to select from. It also has Tracking Autofocus for objects that move. Sony a3500 comes with manual focus when required for low light occasions or you need more exact focus control.
Sony a3500 Battery life
The battery pack (NP-FW50) for the Sony a3500 is fashioned to last for 470 photos according to the CIPA specifications making it higher than average when compared to its class. The usual Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 has the maximum (750) battery life for this group of cameras.
Following is a listing of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras which have the highest battery life:
Sony a3500 for varying categories of photography
The following chart gives a summary of the Sony a3500 for varying categories of photography. To learn more, visit the specific paragraph underneath.
Sony a3500 Portrait photography features
The Sony a3500 has a points tally of 77 which is impressive, meaning that it is a tremendous choice for portraits. Taking portrait images favors heavily to sensor specs, RAW support along with the option to work with off-camera flash.
Sony a3500 as a Street photography camera
With a reasonable rating of 57, the Sony a3500 is relatively suitable to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera offers a fine balance of picture quality plus portability.
Sony a3500 Sports photography factors
A modest sports photography score of 60 means the Sony a3500 is somewhat acceptable for shooting sports. A camera needs excellent autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.
Sony a3500 as a Travel photography camera
Size is extremely crucial in getting a travel camera. On the whole, the Sony a3500 gets a modest 60 for a travelling camera which makes it somewhat adequate to purchase for your vacations.
Sony a3500 as a Landscape photography camera
If you are planning to pick a digital camera for landscape photos, the most important factor will no doubt be image quality. The Sony a3500 and it's above average grade of 70 for a landscape camera is a fine choice within the current marketplace.
Sony a3500 Vlogging information
A camera for vlogging should posses a moving display, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Taking everything in to account, the Sony a3500 is not very good for vlogging as it delivers a terrible rating of 26.
Sony a3500 Alternatives
If you are searching for alternatives to the a3500, below is a collection of the top ranked cameras that fall within the class of Entry-Level Mirrorless.
The graph here provides you a bird's eye view of the a3500 compared to it's highest ranking competitors listed earlier.
Following are several cameras you may look into as alternate options. To read a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.