Pentax P80 vs Sony A37

Here is a extended comparison of the Pentax P80 and Sony A37, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Pentax and Sony. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the P80 (12MP) and A37 (16MP) and the P80 (1/2.3") and A37 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The P80 was released 3 years before the A37 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a quick overview of how the P80 grades vs the A37 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio P80 and Sony SLT-A37. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax P80 Gallery and Sony A37 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and size. The Pentax P80 comes with outside measurements 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 A37 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax P80 and Sony A37 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the P80 compared to the A37.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the P80 and A37 is 95 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it is very hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing just by going through specs. The visual below should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the P80 and A37.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The P80 featuring a smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A37 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older P80 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.