Canon A2100 IS vs Pentax K-5

The following is a in depth overview of the Canon A2100 IS vs Pentax K-5, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Canon and Pentax. There exists a significant gap between the resolutions of the A2100 IS (12MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the A2100 IS (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The A2100 IS was unveiled 22 months prior to the K-5 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Canon A2100 IS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple overview of how the A2100 IS scores versus the K-5 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot A2100 IS and Pentax K-5. The full galleries are available at Canon A2100 IS Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Canon A2100 IS offers physical dimensions of 102mm x 64mm x 32mm (4.0" x 2.5" x 1.3") and a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

See the Canon A2100 IS vs Pentax K-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the A2100 IS versus the K-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the A2100 IS and K-5 is 92 and 60 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions just by reading through technical specs. The image here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the A2100 IS and K-5.

As you can tell, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The A2100 IS with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-5 will give you greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged A2100 IS is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.