Pentax K-5 vs Sony HX5

Below is a extended review of the Pentax K-5 versus Sony HX5, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Pentax and Sony. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the K-5 (16MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the K-5 (APS-C) and HX5 (1/2.4") provide totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The K-5 was launched 7 months later than the HX5 which means that they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the K-5 scores vs the HX5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K-5 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax K-5 Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-5 enjoys physical dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs) whilst the Sony HX5 has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Check out the Pentax K-5 versus Sony HX5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the K-5 vs the HX5.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the K-5 and HX5 is 60 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over technical specs. The visual underneath may provide you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the K-5 and HX5.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The K-5 because of its larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Pentax K-5 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The younger K-5 will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.