Pentax E90 vs Sony A500

Lets look more in depth at the Pentax E90 vs Sony A500, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the E90 (10MP) and the A500 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the E90 (1/2.3") and A500 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The E90 was revealed 6 months later than the A500 so they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras feature different body design with the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera and the Sony A500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E90 matches up versus the A500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio E90 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A500. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax E90 Gallery and Sony A500 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Pentax E90 features outside measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs) and 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).

Analyze the Pentax E90 vs Sony A500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E90 versus the A500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E90 and A500 is 94 and 63 respectively.

Often, it's tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing only by checking out technical specs. The graphic underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E90 and A500.

As you have seen, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E90 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony A500 will show greater detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos way more aggressively.