Pentax P70 vs Sony A550

Below is a thorough comparison of the Pentax P70 versus Sony A550, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the P70 (12MP) and the A550 (14MP) is relatively close but the P70 (1/2.3") and A550 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The P70 was manufactured 9 months prior to the A550 so they are both of a similar age. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A550 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the P70 grades against the A550 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Optio P70 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A550. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax P70 Gallery & Sony A550 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and volume. The Pentax P70 features external measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) whilst the Sony A550 has sizing of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Pentax P70 versus Sony A550 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the P70 and the A550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the P70 and A550 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by looking through specifications. The visual below will offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the P70 and A550.

To sum up, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The P70 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Sony A550 will provide you with greater detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older P70 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.