Pentax W60 vs Sony HX1

Lets look closer at the Pentax W60 and Sony HX1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the W60 (10MP) and the HX1 (9MP) is relatively close but the W60 (1/2.3") and HX1 (1/2.4") come with different sensor size.

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The W60 was announced 3 months later than the HX1 so they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Pentax W60 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the W60 matches up versus the HX1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Optio W60 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax W60 Gallery and Sony HX1 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax W60 offers outside dimensions of 98mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Sony HX1 has specifications of 115mm x 83mm x 92mm (4.5" x 3.3" x 3.6") with a weight of 544 grams (1.20 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax W60 and Sony HX1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is the front view size comparison of the W60 vs the HX1.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the W60 and HX1 is 94 and 67 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by researching a spec sheet. The visual here will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the W60 and HX1.

As you can see, both cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The W60 having a bigger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF easier and the Pentax W60 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively.