Pentax W80 vs Sony A300

Following is a complete review of the Pentax W80 versus Sony A300, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the W80 (12MP) and the A300 (10MP) is relatively comparable but the W80 (1/2.3") and A300 (APS-C) posses different sensor measurements.

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The W80 was unveiled 18 months after the A300 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both the cameras have different body design with the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A300 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a quick overview of how the W80 scores against the A300 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax Optio W80 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A300. The full galleries are available at Pentax W80 Gallery and Sony A300 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax W80 has outside dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") along with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony A300 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 632 grams (1.39 lbs).

Check the Pentax W80 versus Sony A300 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the W80 compared to the A300.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the W80 and A300 is 94 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is difficult to visualize the difference in sensor sizes purely by seeing technical specs. The pic below will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the W80 and A300.

As you have seen, both of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The W80 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax W80 will provide extra detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The newer W80 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.