Pentax P70 vs Sony A850

Below, we are contrasting the Pentax P70 versus Sony A850, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the P70 (12MP) and A850 (25MP) and the P70 (1/2.3") and A850 (Full frame) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The P70 was launched 13 months before the A850 making the cameras a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony A850 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the P70 matches up against the A850 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio P70 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A850. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax P70 Gallery and Sony A850 Gallery.

In case you're planning to travel with your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and volume. The Pentax P70 comes with exterior measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony A850 has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 82mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 3.2") with a weight of 895 grams (1.97 lbs).

Look at the Pentax P70 versus Sony A850 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the P70 against the A850.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the P70 and A850 is 95 and 54 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions merely by researching a spec sheet. The pic underneath should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the P70 and A850.

Clearly, both of those cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The P70 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Sony A850 will result in extra detail utilizing its extra 13MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged P70 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.