Pentax K-5 vs Sony HX7V

In this write-up, we are contrasting the Pentax K-5 and Sony HX7V, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the K-5 (16MP) and the HX7V (16MP) is fairly well matched but the K-5 (APS-C) and HX7V (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The K-5 was released 7 months earlier than the HX7V so they are both of a similar age. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX7V being a Compact camera.

Before getting through a thorough comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the K-5 grades versus the HX7V when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX7V. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax K-5 Gallery & Sony HX7V Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-5 features exterior 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) while the Sony HX7V has measurements of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 208 grams (0.46 lbs).

See the Pentax K-5 and Sony HX7V in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are using at that moment. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the K-5 vs the HX7V.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the K-5 and HX7V is 60 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking specs. The visual here will give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the K-5 and HX7V.

All in all, both of those cameras offer the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor measurements. The K-5 has the larger sensor which should make obtaining shallow depth of field less difficult. The older K-5 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.