Pentax P80 vs Pentax ist DS2

Its time to look more closely at the Pentax P80 and Pentax ist DS2, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR and they are both designed by Pentax. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the P80 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the P80 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The P80 was manufactured 4 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the P80 grades versus the ist DS2 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio P80 & Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax P80 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera often, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Pentax P80 has got exterior dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Analyze the Pentax P80 and Pentax ist DS2 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the P80 compared to the ist DS2.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P80 and ist DS2 is 95 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the P80 and ist DS2.

As you can see, both of those cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The P80 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax P80 will resolve more detail due to its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The younger P80 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.