Pentax RZ18 vs Sony A6300

Below is a extended overview of the Pentax RZ18 and Sony A6300, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the RZ18 (16MP) and A6300 (24MP) and the RZ18 (1/2.3") and A6300 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The RZ18 was unveiled 5 years earlier than the A6300 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera and the Sony A6300 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief summation of how the RZ18 scores vs the A6300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Optio RZ18 and Sony Alpha a6300. The full galleries are available at Pentax RZ18 Gallery and Sony A6300 Gallery.

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Pentax RZ18 has got physical dimensions of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs) whilst the Sony A6300 has dimensions of 120mm x 67mm x 49mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.9") and a weight of 404 grams (0.89 lbs).

Check out the Pentax RZ18 and Sony A6300 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen during that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the RZ18 against the A6300.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the RZ18 and A6300 is 92 and 83 respectively.

Often, it's tough to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The visual underneath may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the RZ18 and A6300.

All in all, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The RZ18 having a smaller sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony A6300 will show greater detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older RZ18 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.