Pentax W80 vs Sony NEX-F3

Below is a comprehensive assessment of the Pentax W80 and Sony NEX-F3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There is a noticeable difference between the resolutions of the W80 (12MP) and NEX-F3 (16MP) and the W80 (1/2.3") and NEX-F3 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The W80 was brought out 4 years prior to the NEX-F3 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera and the Sony NEX-F3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the W80 scores against the NEX-F3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio W80 & Sony Alpha NEX-F3. The entire galleries are available at Pentax W80 Gallery & Sony NEX-F3 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and size. The Pentax W80 provides exterior dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") having a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Sony NEX-F3 has specifications of 117mm x 67mm x 42mm (4.6" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 314 grams (0.69 lbs).

Look at the Pentax W80 and Sony NEX-F3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the W80 and the NEX-F3.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the W80 and NEX-F3 is 94 and 86 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements merely by checking a spec sheet. The photograph here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the W80 and NEX-F3.

Clearly, both the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The W80 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-F3 will give you greater detail having its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs way more aggressively. The older W80 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.