Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 vs Sony ZV-1F

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 and the Sony ZV-1F, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 was introduced in June 2010 and Sony ZV-1F was introduced in October 2022. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 over Sony ZV-1F.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Sony ZV-1F over Sony Alpha DSLR-A290.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 has a 2.7" Fixed screen with 230k dot resolution and Sony ZV-1F has a 3.0" Fully Articulated screen with 922k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Sony ZV-1F selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Sony ZV-1F also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Sony ZV-1F) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder on Sony Alpha DSLR-A290

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. It has a 95% coverage and 0.83x (0.55x 35mm equivalent) magnification. There is no built-in or optional viewfinder available on Sony ZV-1F.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 features a 14.2 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.8 mm and a total area of 372.9 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200. Sony ZV-1F features a 20.1 megapixel 1-inch BSI-CMOS sensor with dimensions of 13.2 x 8.8 mm and a total area of 77.4 mm². Its native ISO range is 125 - 12,800 and expands to 80 - 25,600 in boosted mode.

Sony ZV-1F has BSI-CMOS sensor, short for Backside Illuminated Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor sensor. In traditional CMOS sensors, the wiring and circuitry are located on the front side of the sensor, which can block some of the incoming light. BSI technology flips this design by placing the photosensitive elements (pixels) on the backside of the sensor, allowing more light to reach the pixels. This significantly enhances light sensitivity and improves low-light performance. BSI-CMOS sensors are particularly effective in low-light conditions, as they can capture more light, resulting in brighter and less noisy images. This makes them well-suited for indoor and night photography. BSI-CMOS sensors deliver a higher SNR and reduced cross-talk.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 is equipped with BIONZ processor and can take pictures up to 4592 x 3056 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4592 x 2576, 3408 x 2272, 3408 x 1920, 2288 x 1520, 2288 x 1280 with 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Sony ZV-1F is equipped with Bionz X processor and can take pictures up to 5472 x 3648 resolution.

In-Body Image Stabilization on Sony Alpha DSLR-A290

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Sony ZV-1F

Sony ZV-1F has a built-in Wi-Fi which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Sony ZV-1F

Sony ZV-1F has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.

Battery

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 comes with NP-FH50 battery pack with battery life of 290 shots and Sony ZV-1F comes with NP-BX1 battery pack with battery life of 360 shots.

External Storage Slots

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 has a single SD/SDHC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo card slot. Sony ZV-1F has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Sony Alpha DSLR-A290, and up to 1/32000 sec with electronic shutter and up to 1/2000 sec with mechanical shutter on Sony ZV-1F. Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 can shoot continuously up to 2.5 fps. Sony ZV-1F can shoot continuously up to 16.0 fps.

Flash

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 has a built-in flash with maximum range of 10.00 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Sony ZV-1F has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via [n]. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/160 sec on Sony Alpha DSLR-A290.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 body has dimensions of 128 x 97 x 86 mm (5.04 x 3.82 x 3.39") and Sony ZV-1F body has dimensions of 106 x 60 x 46 mm (4.17 x 2.36 x 1.81"). Sony Alpha DSLR-A290 weighs 549 g (1.21 lb / 19.37 oz) and Sony ZV-1F weighs 256 g (0.56 lb / 9.03 oz).

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290

Sony ZV-1F

128 mm

97 mm

106 mm

60 mm

97 mm

60 mm

86 mm

46 mm