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Pentax P80 vs Sony A9

Portability
95
Imaging
35
Features
23
Overall
30
Pentax Optio P80 front
 
Sony Alpha A9 front
Portability
65
Imaging
73
Features
93
Overall
81

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Key Specs

Pentax P80
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 64 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-110mm (F2.6-5.8) lens
  • 125g - 102 x 59 x 25mm
  • Revealed August 2009
Sony A9
(Full Review)
  • 24MP - Full frame Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51200 (Push to 204800)
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 3840 x 2160 video
  • Sony E Mount
  • 673g - 127 x 96 x 63mm
  • Revealed April 2017
  • Replacement is Sony A9 II
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Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Overview

Below, we will be evaluating the Pentax P80 and Sony A9, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a big difference among the sensor resolutions of the P80 (12MP) and A9 (24MP) and the P80 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) use totally different sensor dimensions.

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The P80 was revealed 8 years earlier than the A9 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick view of how the P80 grades vs the A9 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Pentax P80 over the Sony A9

 P80 A9 

Reasons to pick Sony A9 over the Pentax P80

 A9 P80 
RevealedApril 2017August 2009Newer by 93 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1440k230kCrisper screen (+1210k dot)
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Common features in the Pentax P80 and Sony A9

 P80 A9 
Manual focus Very precise focus
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Physical Comparison

When you are intending to travel with your camera, you will want to think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax P80 offers external measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Sony A9 has measurements of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Check out the Pentax P80 and Sony A9 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the P80 compared to the A9.

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the P80 and A9 is 95 and 65 respectively.

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 top view buttons comparison

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be hard to visualise the gap in sensor dimensions just by researching specifications. The pic here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the P80 and A9.

Plainly, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The P80 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony A9 will result in more detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged P80 will be behind in sensor tech.

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 sensor size comparison

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax P80 Portrait photography advice
Sony A9 Portrait photography advice
27
focusing manually
no manual exposure
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
83
you can focus manually
MP count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
comes with face detection focus
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Pentax P80
Street photography with Sony A9
55
lighter than competition (125 grams)
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
79
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
exports RAW formats
provides focus by touch
weather proof
very good high ISO (51,200)
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Sports Comparison

Pentax P80 Sports photography factors
Sony A9 Sports photography factors
17
max shutter speed is low (1/1,000s)
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no phase detect AF
86
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet mode (1/32,000s)
fast shooting (20.0 frames per second)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (24MP)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather proof
good battery power (650 per charge)
comes with phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Pentax P80 Travel photography highlights
Sony A9 Travel photography highlights
62
lighter than competition (125 grams)
flash built-in
fairly wide (28mm)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
sensor resolution low (12MP)
display is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.6)
73
good battery power (650 per charge)
weather proof
connects via bluetooth
provides focus by touch
MP count good (24MP)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Pentax P80 Landscape photography info
Sony A9 Landscape photography info
32
focusing manually
fairly wide (28mm)
can't change lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.6)
small screen (2.7 inch)
no manual exposure
lack of image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW format
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
85
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Sony E mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count good (24 megapixels)
sensor size is big (Full frame)
very good high ISO (51,200)
exports RAW formats
weather proof
good battery power (650 shots)
has double storage slots
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax P80 Vlogging details
Sony A9 Vlogging details
28
fairly wide (28mm)
lighter than competition (125 grams)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.6)
display is not selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
doesn't have external mic port
36
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detection focus
good video quality (3840 x 2160 resolution)
does have external mic port
display is not selfie friendly
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Pentax P80 vs Sony A9 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax P80 and Sony A9
 Pentax Optio P80Sony Alpha A9
General Information
Company Pentax Sony
Model type Pentax Optio P80 Sony Alpha A9
Category Small Sensor Compact Pro Mirrorless
Revealed 2009-08-05 2017-04-19
Body design Compact SLR-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip Prime BIONZ X
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" Full frame
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 35.6 x 23.8mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 847.3mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 24 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 and 16:9 3:2 and 16:9
Maximum resolution 4000 x 3000 6000 x 4000
Maximum native ISO 6400 51200
Maximum boosted ISO - 204800
Lowest native ISO 64 100
RAW photos
Lowest boosted ISO - 50
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 9 693
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Sony E
Lens zoom range 28-110mm (3.9x) -
Max aperture f/2.6-5.8 -
Macro focusing distance 10cm -
Amount of lenses - 121
Crop factor 5.8 1
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Tilting
Display sizing 2.7 inch 3 inch
Display resolution 230k dot 1,440k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 3,686k dot
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.78x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 4s 30s
Highest shutter speed 1/1000s 1/8000s
Highest quiet shutter speed - 1/32000s
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames per second 20.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance 4.60 m no built-in flash
Flash modes - Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync., Red-eye reduction, Wireless, Hi-speed sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) -
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 3840x2160
Video file format Motion JPEG MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Built-In
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 125 grams (0.28 pounds) 673 grams (1.48 pounds)
Dimensions 102 x 59 x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") 127 x 96 x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 92
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 24.9
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.3
DXO Low light rating not tested 3517
Other
Battery life - 650 photographs
Form of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID D-LI68 NP-FZ100
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2, 5, 10 secs + continuous)
Time lapse recording
Storage media SD/SDHC, Internal Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II compatible)
Storage slots One 2
Cost at launch $200 $4,498