Pentax W80 vs Sony A99

Here is a extensive analysis of the Pentax W80 and Sony A99, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the W80 (12MP) and A99 (24MP) and the W80 (1/2.3") and A99 (Full frame) boast different sensor size.

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The W80 was launched 4 years before the A99 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera and the Sony A99 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick summation of how the W80 matches up vs the A99 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax Optio W80 & Sony SLT-A99. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax W80 Gallery & Sony A99 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry your camera, you'll have to think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax W80 enjoys physical dimensions of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") and a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Sony A99 has measurements of 147mm x 111mm x 78mm (5.8" x 4.4" x 3.1") accompanied by a weight of 812 grams (1.79 lbs).

See the Pentax W80 and Sony A99 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you use at that moment. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the W80 versus the A99.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the W80 and A99 is 94 and 57 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing simply by reading through specifications. The graphic below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the W80 and A99.

Plainly, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The W80 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh harder and the Sony A99 will give more detail utilizing its extra 12MP. Higher resolution will help you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older W80 is going to be behind in sensor tech.