Pentax K100D vs Sony A55

Its time to look more closely at the Pentax K100D versus Sony A55, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by companies Pentax and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the K100D (6MP) and A55 (16MP) but they come with the exact same sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The K100D was manufactured 4 years earlier than the A55 which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a short summation of how the K100D grades against the A55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K100D and Sony SLT-A55. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax K100D Gallery and Sony A55 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you should think about its weight and volume. The Pentax K100D comes with outside measurements of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs) and the Sony A55 has sizing of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Look at the Pentax K100D versus Sony A55 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are using during that time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the K100D vs the A55.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the K100D and A55 is 64 and 67 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizes just by researching specs. The image below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the K100D and A55.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same resolution. You should anticipate the Sony A55 to result in greater detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged K100D will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.