Pentax RS1500 vs Sony A230

Following is a extended analysis of the Pentax RS1500 versus Sony A230, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the RS1500 (14MP) and A230 (10MP) and the RS1500 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The RS1500 was manufactured 23 months after the A230 making them a generation away from each other. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the RS1500 scores vs the A230 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio RS1500 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The entire galleries are available at Pentax RS1500 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Pentax RS1500 comes with physical measurements of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Sony A230 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax RS1500 versus Sony A230 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Here is a front view size comparison of the RS1500 and the A230.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the RS1500 and A230 is 93 and 69 respectively.

In many cases, it's tough to envision the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading through specs. The image below may provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the RS1500 and A230.

All in all, the 2 cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The RS1500 featuring a tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax RS1500 will give greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics way more aggressively. The younger RS1500 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.