Pentax P70 vs Pentax ist DS2

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Pentax P70 vs Pentax ist DS2, one being a Ultracompact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR and both of them are offered by Pentax. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the P70 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the P70 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

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The P70 was unveiled 3 years later than the ist DS2 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the P70 matches up versus the ist DS2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio P70 and Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are provided at Pentax P70 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax P70 features outer dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax P70 vs Pentax ist DS2 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the P70 compared to the ist DS2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the P70 and ist DS2 is 95 and 68 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to picture the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through technical specs. The graphic underneath will offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the P70 and ist DS2.

As you have seen, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The P70 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax P70 will render more detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The newer P70 provides an edge with regard to sensor technology.