Pentax E85 vs Sony HX20V

The following is a comprehensive review of the Pentax E85 and Sony HX20V, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Pentax and Sony. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E85 (12MP) and HX20V (18MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (1/2.3").

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The E85 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the HX20V which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E85 matches up versus the HX20V in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio E85 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax E85 Gallery and Sony HX20V Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax E85 offers external measurements of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs) whilst the Sony HX20V has measurements of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Compare the Pentax E85 and Sony HX20V in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E85 versus the HX20V.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E85 and HX20V is 95 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specs. The image below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E85 and HX20V.

As you can plainly see, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but different MP. You should expect to see the Sony HX20V to give you more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged E85 is going to be behind in sensor tech.