Pentax P70 vs Sony RX100

Here, we will be evaluating the Pentax P70 vs Sony RX100, former is a Ultracompact while the latter is a Large Sensor Compact by rivals Pentax and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the P70 (12MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the P70 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") posses totally different sensor size.

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The P70 was brought out 4 years before the RX100 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before we go straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the P70 scores versus the RX100 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio P70 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax P70 Gallery & Sony RX100 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and volume. The Pentax P70 enjoys exterior 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 Sony RX100 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") and a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Examine the Pentax P70 vs Sony RX100 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the P70 against the RX100.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the P70 and RX100 is 95 and 91 respectively.

Usually, it is very tough to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching technical specs. The picture below should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the P70 and RX100.

As you can tell, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The P70 because of its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Sony RX100 will render extra detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged P70 will be behind in sensor innovation.