Clicky

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2

Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29
Pentax Optio W90 front
 
Pentax ist DL2 front
Portability
69
Imaging
44
Features
33
Overall
39

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Key Specs

Pentax W90
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 164g - 108 x 59 x 25mm
  • Introduced February 2010
Pentax ist DL2
(Full Review)
  • 6MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • Pentax KAF Mount
  • 565g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
  • Released January 2006
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Overview

Let's take a deeper look at the Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2, one is a Waterproof and the other is a Advanced DSLR and both of them are built by Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the W90 (12MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the W90 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

The W90 was unveiled 4 years after the ist DL2 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the W90 grades against the ist DL2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards
	
	

Reasons to pick Pentax W90 over the Pentax ist DL2

 W90 ist DL2 
ReleasedFebruary 2010January 2006More modern by 50 months
Display size2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")
Display resolution230k210kClearer display (+20k dot)

Reasons to pick Pentax ist DL2 over the Pentax W90

 ist DL2 W90 

Common features in the Pentax W90 and Pentax ist DL2

 W90 ist DL2 
Manual focus More precise focus
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither has selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither has Touch friendly display

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is looking to carry around your camera, you will have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Pentax W90 has physical measurements of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Look at the Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the W90 vs the ist DL2.

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the W90 and ist DL2 is 94 and 69 respectively.

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 top view buttons comparison

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is very tough to picture the gap in sensor sizes purely by researching a spec sheet. The picture below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the W90 and ist DL2.

Clearly, the two cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The W90 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax W90 will render greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The fresher W90 provides an advantage in sensor tech.

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 sensor size comparison

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax W90 as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax ist DL2 as a Portrait photography camera
27
has manual focus
no manual control
no external flash support
low MP (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
50
focusing manually
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
no liveview feature
sensor resolution low (6MP)
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Street Comparison

Street photography with Pentax W90
Street photography with Pentax ist DL2
54
weather proofing
screen is fixed
no image stabilization
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
60
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
lighter than average in class (565g)
fixed screen
no image stabilization
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Sports Comparison

Pentax W90 as a Sports photography camera
Pentax ist DL2 as a Sports photography camera
24
weather proofing
continuous shooting slow (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
low MP (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
38
decent sensor size (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect AF
no liveview feature
max frames per second low (3.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (6 megapixels)
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Travel Comparison

Pentax W90 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax ist DL2 as a Travel photography camera
64
weather proofing
flash built-in
pretty wide (28mm)
low MP (12MP)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
52
lighter than average in class (565 grams)
built-in flash
does not have Time Lapse function
sensor resolution low (6MP)
display is not selfie friendly
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Pentax W90 Landscape photography features
Pentax ist DL2 Landscape photography features
37
has manual focus
pretty wide (28mm)
weather proofing
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
no manual control
no image stabilization
low MP (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
46
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF mount)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
small screen (2.5")
no liveview feature
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (6 megapixels)
does not have Time Lapse function
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Pentax W90
Vlogging with Pentax ist DL2
25
pretty wide (28mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external microphone socket
22
lighter than average in class (565g)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
low quality video ( pixels)
does not have mic port
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Pentax W90 vs Pentax ist DL2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax W90 and Pentax ist DL2
 Pentax Optio W90Pentax ist DL2
General Information
Make Pentax Pentax
Model type Pentax Optio W90 Pentax ist DL2
Class Waterproof Advanced DSLR
Introduced 2010-02-24 2006-01-27
Body design Compact Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip Prime -
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 6 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Max resolution 4000 x 3000 3008 x 2008
Max native ISO 6400 3200
Minimum native ISO 80 200
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 9 5
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Pentax KAF
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) -
Maximal aperture f/3.5-5.5 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Total lenses - 151
Focal length multiplier 5.8 1.5
Screen
Range of display Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display size 2.7 inches 2.5 inches
Display resolution 230 thousand dot 210 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical
Viewfinder coverage - 95%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.57x
Features
Min shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Max shutter speed 1/1500 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 1.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.90 m -
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) -
Max video resolution 1280x720 -
Video file format Motion JPEG -
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected No
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 164 grams (0.36 lbs) 565 grams (1.25 lbs)
Physical dimensions 108 x 59 x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") 125 x 93 x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 65
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 22.9
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 11.1
DXO Low light rating not tested 639
Other
Battery ID D-LI68 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC card, Internal SD/MMC card
Storage slots One One
Price at release $120 -