Pentax P70 vs Sony A580

Following is a in depth overview of the Pentax P70 vs Sony A580, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the P70 (12MP) and A580 (16MP) and the P70 (1/2.3") and A580 (APS-C) use totally different sensor size.

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The P70 was brought out 3 years before the A580 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A580 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a short view of how the P70 grades against the A580 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio P70 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A580. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax P70 Gallery & Sony A580 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax P70 enjoys outer measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony A580 has measurements of 137mm x 104mm x 84mm (5.4" x 4.1" x 3.3") with a weight of 599 grams (1.32 lbs).

Examine the Pentax P70 vs Sony A580 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the P70 versus the A580.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the P70 and A580 is 95 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes simply by looking at a spec sheet. The picture below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the P70 and A580.

Clearly, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The P70 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Sony A580 will give extra detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images far more aggressively. The more aged P70 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.