Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380
90 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37
68 Imaging
53 Features
54 Overall
53
Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-560mm (F3.1-4.8) lens
- 235g - 111 x 61 x 38mm
- Announced January 2012
(Full Review)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380 Overview
The following is a in-depth review of the Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the VS20 (16MP) and the A380 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the VS20 (1/2.3") and A380 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe VS20 was brought out 2 years after the A380 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera and the Sony A380 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the VS20 matches up versus the A380 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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Following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio VS20 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A380. The entire galleries are available at Pentax VS20 Gallery & Sony A380 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Sony A380
| VS20 | A380 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | January 2012 | August 2009 | Newer by 30 months | |
| Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") | |
| Screen resolution | 460k | 230k | Clearer screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony A380 over the Pentax VS20
| A380 | VS20 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Common features in the Pentax VS20 and Sony A380
| VS20 | A380 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Very accurate focusing | |||
| Selfie screen | No selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly screen | No Touch friendly screen |
Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Pentax VS20 offers physical dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") and a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs) while the Sony A380 has proportions of 128mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 519 grams (1.14 lbs).
Contrast the Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the VS20 vs the A380.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VS20 and A380 is 90 and 68 respectively.
Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions just by going through a spec sheet. The image here should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the VS20 and A380.
Clearly, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The VS20 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh harder and the Pentax VS20 will produce more detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more modern VS20 is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.
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Pentax VS20 vs Sony A380 Specifications
| Pentax Optio VS20 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Pentax | Sony |
| Model type | Pentax Optio VS20 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A380 |
| Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Announced | 2012-01-25 | 2009-08-24 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | - | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
| Sensor area | 27.7mm² | 372.9mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4592 x 3056 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW support | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | fixed lens | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Lens zoom range | 28-560mm (20.0x) | - |
| Maximal aperture | f/3.1-4.8 | - |
| Macro focusing distance | 3cm | - |
| Total lenses | - | 143 |
| Crop factor | 5.9 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Tilting |
| Display sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
| Resolution of display | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch function | ||
| Display technology | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.49x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/2500 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 1.0fps | 3.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 2.80 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | - |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | None |
| Video data format | Motion JPEG | - |
| Mic input | ||
| Headphone input | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 235 gr (0.52 pounds) | 519 gr (1.14 pounds) |
| Dimensions | 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") | 128 x 97 x 71mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | 67 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 22.6 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 11.8 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 614 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 500 photos |
| Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | D-LI122 | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Cost at launch | $106 | $899 |