Updated (February, 2013): Compare the Sony SLT A58 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

66

 
Sony SLT A57

54

 

Reasons to buy the Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

Low light performance
Low noise at high ISO
1,415 ISO
Viewfinder size
Large viewfinder
0.74x
Image stabilization
Image stabilization
Sensor shift
True resolution
High true resolution
24.4 MP
Weather sealed
Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Startup delay
Almost no delay when powering up
500 ms startup delay
 
Runner-up

Sony SLT A57

Reasons to buy the Sony SLT A57

Dynamic range
Wide dynamic range
13 EV
Viewfinder size
Large viewfinder
0.72x
Image stabilization
Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Live view
Has live view
Preview your photos
Continuous shooting
Rapid fire
12 fps
HDR
In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
 

differences

Advantages of the Sony SLT A57

Live view Has live view Yes vs No
Help
Preview your photos on the camera's screen before taking them
Movie format Shoots movies 1080p @ 60fps vs None
Help
Shoots Full HD (1080p) video as well as still pictures
Continuous shooting Shoots much faster 12 fps vs 3 fps
Help
4x faster continuous shooting
Autofocus Video autofocus Phase detection vs None
Help
Automatically focuses shooting video
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
3D Takes 3D photos Yes vs No
Help
Combines multiple photos into a 3D image
Panorama Can create panoramas in-camera Yes vs No
Help
Stitches together multiple photos for a wide perspective
Screen flips out Has a flip-out screen Yes vs No
Help
Flip-out screens can be helpful when composing tricky shots or taking movies
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 16,000 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
The SLT A57's maximum light sensitivity is 2.3 f-stops better
Dynamic range More dynamic range 13 EV vs 12.2 EV
Help
0.8 f-stops more dynamic range
Lens availability More lenses available 92 lenses vs 62 lenses
Help
Around 50% more lenses available
Size Smaller 132x98x81 mm vs 156x117x82 mm
Help
Around 30% smaller
Viewfinder coverage Better viewfinder coverage 100% vs 98%
Help
Almost the same
Built-in flash Built-in flash Yes vs No
Help
A built-in flash is useful for taking indoor shots where there is little light
Weight Lighter 618 g vs 895 g
Help
More than 30% lighter
Cross type focus points Slightly more cross-type focus points 3 vs 1
Help
Grab focus in difficult situations
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 25,600 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
The SLT A57's boost ISO is 2 f-stops better
Thickness Slightly thinner 3.2" vs 3.2"
Help
Almost the same
Sony SLT A57 Learn more about
the Sony SLT A57

Advantages of the Sony DSLR-A850

Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO 1,415 ISO vs 785 ISO
Help
The DSLR-A850 has a slight edge (0.9 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder Pentaprism vs Digital
Help
Optical viewfinders save battery life and are more detailed
Sensor size Much larger sensor Full frame 35.9x24.0mm vs APS-C 23.5x15.6mm
Help
Around 2.5x larger sensor
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
Sealed to shoot in the rain
True resolution Significantly higher true resolution 24.4 MP vs 16 MP
Help
Capture more than 50% more detail in your photos
Overall image quality Better image quality 79.0 vs 75.0
Help
Around 10% better image quality
Battery life Longer battery life 880 shots vs 550 shots
Help
60% more shots per battery charge
Storage slots Has more storage slots 2 vs 1
Help
More slots allows storing more images without switching memory cards
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder 0.74x vs 0.72x
Help
Around 10% larger viewfinder
Color depth Better color depth 23.8 bits vs 23.4 bits
Help
Distinguishes 0.4 more bits of color
Fastest shutter speed Significantly faster max shutter speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s
Help
2x faster max shutter speed
Focus points Slightly more focus points 19 vs 15
Help
Set focus accurately within the frame
Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 Learn more about
the Sony DSLR-A850
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Sony SLT A57 Sony SLT A57
54 vs 66
Explain scores
Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a entry-level DSLR with a pro DSLR.

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Image stabilization Good image stabilization Help
Sensor shift
Viewfinder size Above average viewfinder size Help
SLT A57:0.72x
DSLR-A850:0.74x
Thickness Quite thick Help
3.2"
Lens availability Few lenses available Help
SLT A57:92 lenses
DSLR-A850:62 lenses
Cross type focus points Few cross-type focus points Help
SLT A57:3
DSLR-A850:1

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

Sony SLT A58

Sony SLT A58

Entry-level DSLR

$588 - $598 with 18-55mm lens

Color depth Has much more color depth
Thickness Is thinner
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Viewfinder size Slightly smaller viewfinder
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$497 body only

$597 - $805 with 18-55mm lens

Lens availability Much more lenses available
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Sony SLT-A65

Sony SLT A65

Entry-level DSLR

$587 - $698 body only

$798 - $1,005 with 18-55mm lens

Shutter lag Has slightly less shutter lag
GPS Has a built-in GPS
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Startup delay Has much more startup delay
Sony SLT-A77

Sony SLT A77

Pro DSLR

$998 - $1,000 body only

$1,598 - $1,930 with 16-50mm lens

Shutter lag Has slightly less shutter lag
Cross type focus points Has slightly more cross-type focus points
Startup delay Has much more startup delay
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$699 - $899 body only

$999 - $1,279 with 18-135mm lens

Screen resolution Has a slightly higher resolution screen
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Weight Is slightly heavier
Viewfinder coverage Slightly less viewfinder coverage
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$897 body only

$997 with 18-105mm lens

Lens availability Much more lenses available
Focus points Has slightly more focus points
Weight Is slightly heavier
Shutter lag Has slightly more shutter lag
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580

Sony Alpha DSLR-A580

Entry-level DSLR

$619 - $779 with 18-55mm lens

Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker

Sony SLT A57 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

Canon Rebel T4i

Canon Rebel T4i

Entry-level DSLR

$699 - $800 body only

$699 - $749 with 18-55mm lens

Touch screen Has a touch screen
Lens availability Much more lenses available
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Overall image quality Significantly worse image quality
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$549 body only

$599 - $649 with 18-55mm lens

Lens availability Much more lenses available
Viewfinder Has an optical viewfinder
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Overall image quality Worse image quality
Nikon D3200

Nikon D3200

Entry-level DSLR

$547 with 18-55mm lens

Lens availability Much more lenses available
Overall image quality Better image quality
Viewfinder size Much smaller viewfinder
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Sony SLT-A37

Sony SLT-A37

Entry-level DSLR

$472 - $482 with 18-55mm lens

Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity
Size Slightly smaller
Screen resolution Much lower resolution screen
Screen size Much smaller screen

Sony Alpha DSLR-A850 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

Sony Alpha DSLR-A900

Pro DSLR

Continuous shooting Shoots faster
Viewfinder coverage Better viewfinder coverage
Light sensitivity Worse maximum light sensitivity
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,479 body only

$2,699 - $3,000 with 24-105mm lens

Live view Has live view
Movie format Shoots movies
Image stabilization No image stabilization
Dynamic range Less dynamic range
Nikon D700

Nikon D700

Pro DSLR

$3,500 body only

Live view Has live view
Low light performance Lower noise at high ISO
Image stabilization No image stabilization
True resolution Much lower true resolution
Sony SLT-A99

Sony SLT-A99

Pro DSLR

$2,798 body only

$3,196 - $3,198 with 28-75mm lens

Live view Has live view
Movie format Shoots movies
Viewfinder Has a digital viewfinder
Battery life Shorter battery life
Sony Alpha DSLR-A700

Sony Alpha DSLR-A700

Entry-level DSLR

Lens availability More lenses available
Continuous shooting Shoots faster
Overall image quality Significantly worse image quality
Low light performance More noise at high ISO

appearance

Sony SLT A57 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
Sony SLT A57 Sony Alpha DSLR-A850
Sony Alpha DSLR-A850

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