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Sony A100 vs Sony H300 Comparison

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Sony A100

10 MP | APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) CCD Sensor

Sony A100
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Sony H300

20 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Sony H300
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Sony A100 vs Sony H300 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two Sony cameras cameras with different body types: Sony A100, which was introduced in July 2006 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 10.0MP APS-C sensor whereas Sony H300, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor. As you can see, A100 is 8 years older than H300. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Sony A100 and Sony H300 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A100 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2006-07-31
  • 10MP - APS-C CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 2.5" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder
  • 3 fps continuous shooting
  • No Video Mode
  • 638g. 133 x 95 x 71 mm
  • Replaced Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D Compare

Sony H300 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-13
  • 20MP - 1/2.3-inch CCD Sensor
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 25-875 mm F3-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 590g. 130 x 95 x 122 mm

Sony A100 was replaced by Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 vs Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A100 and Sony H300 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 over Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Max Mech. Shutter
1/4000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
3.0fps vs 1.0fps 2 fps faster
Sensor Pixel Area
37.14µm2 vs 1.41µm2 2534% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300 over Sony Alpha DSLR-A100
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 10 MP 100% more pixels
Max ISO
3.200 vs 1.600 100% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3" vs 2.5" 0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
460k dots vs 230k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Weight
590 g vs 638 g 48 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
1280 x 720 vs None Higher Resolution Video

Common Strengths of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Optical Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
LCD Screen Resolution
230k dots vs 460k dots Low resolution screens
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
AE Bracketing
No vs No Not good for multi-exposure HDR
Sony A100 vs Sony H300: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Sony A100 and Sony H300 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A100 has external dimensions of 133 x 95 x 71 mm (5.24 x 3.74 x 2.8″) and weighs 638 g (1.41 lb / 22.50 oz) (including batteries). Sony H300 has external dimensions of 130 x 95 x 122 mm (5.1 x 3.74 x 4.81″) and weighs 590 g (1.30 lb / 20.81 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A100 and Sony H300. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sony H300 has a built-in lens but Sony A100 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A100, its thickness will increase significantly.

Sony A100 vs Sony H300 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Sony A100 and Sony H300 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony H300 is 48g lighter than the Sony A100 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on A100, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 nor Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Sony H300's 3" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A100's 2.5" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Sony A100 vs Sony H300: Sensor Comparison

Sony A100 has a 10.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CCD sensor . On the other hand, Sony H300 has a 20.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Bionz(R) processor.

Sony H300's sensor provides 10MP more than Sony A100's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the A100 and H300 sensor size comparison.

Sony A100 vs Sony H300 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony A100 and Sony H300 Cameras


As seen above, Sony A100 has a 13.3x Larger sensor area than Sony H300. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony A100 and Sony H300 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A100 and Sony H300 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Sony A100 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Sony H300 for Portrait Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Sony A100 for Street Photography

GOOD

Sony H300 for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
No Live-view
Large Body
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details

Sony A100 for Sports Photography

GOOD

Sony H300 for Sports Photography

POOR
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Read the details
Image Stabilization
875 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
Unknown Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Sony A100 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sony H300 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Large Body
638g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details
35.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
590g
Body Thickness 122mm
Read the details

Sony A100 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Sony H300 for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
Very Low Resolution Sensor: 10.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
No Live-view
Read the details
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Sony A100 vs Sony H300: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Sony A100 and Sony H300, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Sony A100 and Sony H300 scores compare:

Sony A100
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #60 out of 78 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #494 out of 1225 in all Cameras
Sony H300
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #91 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #738 out of 1225 in all Cameras

Sony A100 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sony H300 in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A100
Sony A100
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Sony H300
Sony H300
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Sony H300 vs Sony A100 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H300
Brand Sony Sony
Announced 2006-07-31 2014-02-13
Body Type Compact SLR SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type CCD CCD
Size APS-C 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm 6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area 372.88mm2 28.07mm2
Megapixels 10 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 3872 x 2592 5152 x 3864
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 3,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 80 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony/Minolta Alpha fixed lens
Lens Focal Range no lens 25-875 mm (35×)
Max Aperture no lens F3-5.9
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.5" 3"
Resolution 230k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentamirror) None
Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder 201k dots
Viewfinder Coverage 95% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.55x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/1500s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Optical
Built-in Flash
Flash Range n/a 8.80 m
Max Flash Sync 1/160s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 3.0 fps 1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution None 1280 x 720
Video Formats n/a MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 638g 590g
Dimensions 133 x 95 x 71mm 130 x 95 x 122mm
Battery Life n/a 350 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 61 not tested
DxO Color Depth 22.0 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 11.2 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 476 not tested
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