Pentax S1 vs Sony NEX-F3

Following is a extended review of the Pentax S1 and Sony NEX-F3, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the S1 (14MP) and the NEX-F3 (16MP) is very close but the S1 (1/2.3") and NEX-F3 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor size.

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The S1 was launched 17 months prior to the NEX-F3 making them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a full comparison, here is a short introduction of how the S1 scores against the NEX-F3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio S1 and Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax S1 Gallery and Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera often, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Pentax S1 comes with outer dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-F3 has proportions of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check out the Pentax S1 and Sony NEX-F3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the S1 and the NEX-F3.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the S1 and NEX-F3 is 93 and 86 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to envision the gap in sensor sizes only by viewing specs. The pic underneath will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the S1 and NEX-F3.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The S1 due to its smaller sensor will make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Sony NEX-F3 will render more detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged S1 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.