Pentax K100D S vs Pentax E85

Here is a thorough assessment of the Pentax K100D S and Pentax E85, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are produced by Pentax. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the K100D S (6MP) and E85 (12MP) and the K100D S (APS-C) and E85 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The K100D S was released 3 years before the E85 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the K100D S grades vs the E85 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax K100D Super and Pentax Optio E85. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax K100D S Gallery and Pentax E85 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax K100D S comes with outside dimensions of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs) while the Pentax E85 has measurements of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Examine the Pentax K100D S and Pentax E85 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising at that time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the K100D S compared to the E85.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the K100D S and E85 is 65 and 95 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to see the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading through specifications. The visual below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the K100D S and E85.

Plainly, both of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The K100D S due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field less difficult and the Pentax E85 will give extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older K100D S is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.