Pentax K100D vs Pentax W80

Following is a thorough assessment of the Pentax K100D and Pentax W80, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are sold by Pentax. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the K100D (6MP) and W80 (12MP) and the K100D (APS-C) and W80 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor sizing.

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The K100D was introduced 3 years before the W80 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick summation of how the K100D grades versus the W80 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K100D and Pentax Optio W80. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax K100D Gallery and Pentax W80 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Pentax K100D comes with physical measurements of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs) while the Pentax W80 has sizing of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

See the Pentax K100D and Pentax W80 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the K100D and the W80.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the K100D and W80 is 64 and 94 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes merely by researching specs. The picture underneath will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the K100D and W80.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The K100D with its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax W80 will result in greater detail using its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will help you crop photos more aggressively. The more aged K100D will be behind in sensor technology.