Canon A800 vs Pentax W90
93 Imaging
33 Features
19 Overall
27


94 Imaging
35 Features
21 Overall
29
Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 37-122mm (F3.0-5.8) lens
- 186g - 94 x 61 x 31mm
- Introduced January 2011
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 164g - 108 x 59 x 25mm
- Launched February 2010

Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Overview
In this write-up, we are contrasting the Canon A800 and Pentax W90, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Waterproof by companies Canon and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the A800 (10MP) and the W90 (12MP) is very similar and they enjoy the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

The A800 was revealed 11 months later than the W90 and they are both of a similar generation. Both cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the A800 grades against the W90 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Gallery
Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Canon PowerShot A800 and Pentax Optio W90. The full galleries are provided at Canon A800 Gallery and Pentax W90 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon A800 over the Pentax W90
A800 | W90 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | January 2011 | ![]() | February 2010 | Fresher by 11 months |
Reasons to pick Pentax W90 over the Canon A800
W90 | A800 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial precise focus | ||
Display sizing | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.2") |
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 115k | Clearer display (+115k dot) |
Common features in the Canon A800 and Pentax W90
A800 | W90 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lack of selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Lack of Touch display |
Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Physical Comparison
For those who are intending to carry your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Canon A800 offers outer dimensions of 94mm x 61mm x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") with a weight of 186 grams (0.41 lbs) and the Pentax W90 has sizing of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") and a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).
Compare the Canon A800 and Pentax W90 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the A800 against the W90.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the A800 and W90 is 93 and 94 respectively.

Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Sensor Comparison
Usually, its difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizing purely by reviewing specifications. The graphic here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the A800 and W90.
Plainly, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Pentax W90 to offer extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will let you crop pics a little more aggressively. The fresher A800 should have an edge with regard to sensor tech.

Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon A800 vs Pentax W90 Specifications
Canon PowerShot A800 | Pentax Optio W90 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Canon | Pentax |
Model type | Canon PowerShot A800 | Pentax Optio W90 |
Type | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
Introduced | 2011-01-05 | 2010-02-24 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | DIGIC 3 | Prime |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixels | 12 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 9 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 37-122mm (3.3x) | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Highest aperture | f/3.0-5.8 | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focusing range | 1cm | 1cm |
Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 2.5" | 2.7" |
Display resolution | 115 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display tech | TFT LCD | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 15 secs | 4 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 secs | 1/1500 secs |
Continuous shooting rate | 1.0fps | 1.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 3.00 m | 3.90 m |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Max video resolution | 640x480 | 1280x720 |
Video file format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 186g (0.41 lb) | 164g (0.36 lb) |
Dimensions | 94 x 61 x 31mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 1.2") | 108 x 59 x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 300 images | - |
Form of battery | AA | - |
Battery ID | 2 x AA | D-LI68 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10sec, custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC/MMC/MMCplus/HCMMCplus | SD/SDHC card, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at launch | $90 | $120 |