Sony a5000 has a
20.0MP APS-C (23.2 x 15.4 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Bionz X processor. On the other hand, Sony A290 has a
14.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Bionz processor.
Sony a5000's sensor provides 6MP more than Sony A290'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 a5000 and A290 sensor size comparison.
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Sony a5000 and Sony A290 Cameras
Sony a5000 and Sony A290 have almost the same sensor size, so neither of them has any significant advantage over the other in terms of providing control over depth of field when used with the same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Sony a5000 and Sony A290 sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, a5000 has scored 79, 13 points higher than A290.
Model
Overall
Color Depth
Dynamic Range
Low-light ISO
Sony a5000
79
23.8 bits
13.0 Evs
1089 ISO
Sony A290
66
22.6 bits
11.5 Evs
615 ISO
Sensor size sets the circle of confusion, so it drives how much depth of field each
of these bodies gives you at a given aperture. You can calculate it exactly for the
Sony a5000
or the
Sony A290 ,
including hyperfocal distance.
