Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230
90 Imaging
39 Features
35 Overall
37


95 Imaging
34 Features
25 Overall
30
Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 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
- Introduced January 2012
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 3200
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 640 x 480 video
- 30-120mm (F2.8-5.8) lens
- 156g - 95 x 57 x 22mm
- Announced February 2009

Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 Overview
Its time to look closer at the Pentax VS20 versus Sony W230, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Pentax and Sony. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the VS20 (16MP) and W230 (12MP) but they come with the same exact sensor measurements (1/2.3").

The VS20 was released 2 years later than the W230 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before going in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the VS20 scores vs the W230 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio VS20 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax VS20 Gallery and Sony W230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax VS20 over the Sony W230
VS20 | W230 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | January 2012 | ![]() | February 2009 | More recent by 36 months |
Display resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper display (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony W230 over the Pentax VS20
W230 | VS20 |
---|
Common features in the Pentax VS20 and Sony W230
VS20 | W230 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More accurate focusing | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Display sizing | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equivalent display measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither features selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither features Touch friendly display |
Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 Physical Comparison
If you're looking to lug around your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and size. The Pentax VS20 enjoys outside measurements of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs) whilst the Sony W230 has specifications of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") along with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).
See the Pentax VS20 versus Sony W230 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the VS20 against the W230.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the VS20 and W230 is 90 and 95 respectively.

Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements only by going through specs. The visual below should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the VS20 and W230.
As you can plainly see, each of the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same resolution. You should expect to see the Pentax VS20 to produce extra detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics far more aggressively. The newer VS20 is going to have an edge in sensor innovation.

Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax VS20 vs Sony W230 Specifications
Pentax Optio VS20 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Pentax | Sony |
Model | Pentax Optio VS20 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230 |
Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Small Sensor Compact |
Introduced | 2012-01-25 | 2009-02-17 |
Body design | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor dimensions | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 12MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4000 x 3000 |
Max native ISO | 6400 | 3200 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Selective autofocus | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Autofocus live view | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 3 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 28-560mm (20.0x) | 30-120mm (4.0x) |
Max aperture | f/3.1-4.8 | f/2.8-5.8 |
Macro focus distance | 3cm | 4cm |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 3" | 3" |
Display resolution | 460 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Display technology | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 4 secs | 1 secs |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2500 secs | 1/1600 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 1.0 frames per second | 2.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 2.80 m | 3.90 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 640x480 |
Video file format | Motion JPEG | 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 proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 235g (0.52 lbs) | 156g (0.34 lbs) |
Dimensions | 111 x 61 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") | 95 x 57 x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery model | D-LI122 | - |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal | Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, Internal |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Cost at launch | $106 | $180 |