Pentax P70 vs Sony HX300

The following is a extensive analysis of the Pentax P70 vs Sony HX300, one is a Ultracompact and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the P70 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The P70 was introduced 5 years prior to the HX300 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple view of how the P70 matches up versus the HX300 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio P70 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300. The whole galleries are viewable at Pentax P70 Gallery and Sony HX300 Gallery.

For those who are going to travel with your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and volume. The Pentax P70 comes with physical dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") and a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony HX300 has sizing of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") having a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

See the Pentax P70 vs Sony HX300 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the P70 compared to the HX300.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P70 and HX300 is 95 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to visualize the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the P70 and HX300.

Clearly, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Sony HX300 to deliver greater detail using its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The more aged P70 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.