Pentax K20D vs Sony A500

Let's look closer at the Pentax K20D and Sony A500, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the K20D (15MP) and A500 (12MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (APS-C).

Photography Glossary

The K20D was manufactured 14 months earlier than the A500 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both cameras have different body design with the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the K20D grades against the A500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax K20D & Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax K20D Gallery & Sony A500 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Pentax K20D offers external measurements of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Sony A500 has dimensions of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") and a weight of 630 grams (1.39 lbs).

See the Pentax K20D and Sony A500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the K20D versus the A500.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the K20D and A500 is 59 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualise the gap in sensor sizes simply by viewing technical specs. The picture underneath will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the K20D and A500.

As you can tell, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You can expect the Pentax K20D to render extra detail due to its extra 3MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures more aggressively. The more aged K20D will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.