Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs.
In this section, we are going to illustrate the Sony A380 and Canon A800 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Sony A380 has external dimensions of 128 x 97 x 71 mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 2.8″) and weighs 519 g (1.14 lb / 18.31 oz) (including batteries). Canon A800 has external dimensions of 94 x 61 x 31 mm (3.7 x 2.4 x 1.22″) and weighs 186 g (0.41 lb / 6.56 oz) (including batteries).
Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Sony A380 and the Canon A800. Canon A800 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 34mm narrower, 36mm shorter and 40mm thinner than Sony A380. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon A800 has a built-in lens but Sony A380 doesn't. Once you put a lens on A380, its thickness will increase significantly.
Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A380 and Canon A800.
Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day.
Canon A800 is significantly lighter (333g ) than the Sony A380 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.
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 A380, the total kit will weigh much higher.
Weather Sealing
Unfortunately neither the Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 nor Canon PowerShot A800 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, 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 Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing
LCD Screen Size and Features
Sony A380's 2.70" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon A800's 2.5" screen.
In addition to the size advantage, Sony A380 LCD screen also has a
Tilting feature where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over-the-head levels. On the other hand, Canon A800 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to A380.