Sony a290 vs Sony a500

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a290 and Sony a500. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony a290

Sony a500

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony a290 were released 2010 and Sony a500 was released 2009. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony a290	2010
Sony a500	2009

Type of camera

Both these cameras are DSLR cameras. No difference there.

Sensors / crop factor

Both these cameras have the same sorts of sensor (called "Sony APS-C") which means that if you compare these cameras side by side the lenses will also have the same experienced focal length. Neither of the cameras has a Full frame sensor which means that you will get a "crop factor" where the camera's sensor size affect the focal length with a multiplier.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a290	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a500	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)

Resolution

Sony a290 has a 14 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a500 has 12 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony a290	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056
Sony a500	12 MP 12166656 pixels 4272 x 2848

Sony a290 has a 15 % larger resolution than Sony a500. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a500 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a290. Sony a500 has an ISO range that stretches from 200 to 12800 while Sony a290 has 100 to 3200.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony a290	100-3200
Sony a500	200-12800

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a290
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a500

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a290 can shoot up to 2,5 pictures per seconds and Sony a500 can shoot up to 5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a290	2,5
Sony a500	5

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

Though, neither Sony a290 or Sony a500 can shoot movies so if that is a functionality that you are really looking for you should look elsewhere.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Sony a500 weighs 630 gr (equal to 1.39 lb) which is 15% heavier than Sony a290 and its 549 gr (or 1.21 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony a290	549 gr 1.21 lb
Sony a500	630 gr 1.39 lb