Pentax P80 vs Sony RX10

Following is a extended analysis of the Pentax P80 vs Sony RX10, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Large Sensor Superzoom by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a big gap between the image resolutions of the P80 (12MP) and RX10 (20MP) and the P80 (1/2.3") and RX10 (1") offer totally different sensor size.

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The P80 was revealed 5 years before the RX10 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX10 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short introduction of how the P80 scores vs the RX10 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio P80 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10. The full galleries are available at Pentax P80 Gallery and Sony RX10 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax P80 provides physical dimensions of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony RX10 has measurements of 129mm x 88mm x 102mm (5.1" x 3.5" x 4.0") with a weight of 813 grams (1.79 lbs).

Examine the Pentax P80 vs Sony RX10 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the P80 versus the RX10.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P80 and RX10 is 95 and 58 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes just by reviewing technical specs. The pic underneath may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the P80 and RX10.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The P80 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Sony RX10 will deliver more detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged P80 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.