Sony NEX-7 vs Sony a290

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony NEX-7 and Sony a290. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Sony NEX-7

Sony a290

Manufacturing

These cameras are both manufactured by Sony.

Sony NEX-7 were released 2011 and Sony a290 was released 2010. That is a 1 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Sony NEX-7	2011
Sony a290	2010

Type of camera

Sony NEX-7 is a Mirrorless camera while Sony a290 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

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 NEX-7	75 mm Sony APS-C sensor Crop factor/focal length multiplier by * 1.5
Sony a290	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 NEX-7 has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Sony a290 has 14 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Sony NEX-7	24 MP 24000000 pixels 6000 x 4000
Sony a290	14 MP 14033152 pixels 4592 x 3056

Sony NEX-7 has a 71 % larger resolution than Sony a290. 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 NEX-7 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a290. Sony NEX-7 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 16000 while Sony a290 has 100 to 3200.

Camera	ISO Range
Sony NEX-7	100-16000
Sony a290	100-3200

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 NEX-7
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a290

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony NEX-7 can shoot up to 10 pictures per seconds and Sony a290 can shoot up to 2,5 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Sony NEX-7	10
Sony a290	2,5

Ability to record movies

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

When comparing these two cameras there is only one of them that can shoot movies and that is Sony NEX-7. Unfortunately Sony a290 does not support recording movies and movie clips.

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 a290 weighs 549 gr (equal to 1.21 lb) which is 37% heavier than Sony NEX-7 and its 400 gr (or 0.88 lb).

Camera	Weight
Sony NEX-7	400 gr 0.88 lb
Sony a290	549 gr 1.21 lb