Pentax P80 vs Sony a5000

Below, we will be evaluating the Pentax P80 vs Sony a5000, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the P80 (12MP) and a5000 (20MP) and the P80 (1/2.3") and a5000 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor size.

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The P80 was brought out 5 years before the a5000 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera and the Sony a5000 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick summary of how the P80 matches up against the a5000 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio P80 & Sony Alpha a5000. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax P80 Gallery & Sony a5000 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and size. The Pentax P80 provides physical 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) whilst the Sony a5000 has specifications of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Compare the Pentax P80 vs Sony a5000 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using during that time. Here is the front view overall size comparison of the P80 vs the a5000.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the P80 and a5000 is 95 and 89 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by looking at specs. The image below will provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the P80 and a5000.

All in all, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The P80 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony a5000 will resolve greater detail having its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged P80 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.