Pentax W90 vs Sony A200

Below, we are contrasting the Pentax W90 and Sony A200, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the W90 (12MP) and the A200 (10MP) is fairly close but the W90 (1/2.3") and A200 (APS-C) feature different sensor measurements.

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The W90 was revealed 20 months later than the A200 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera and the Sony A200 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the W90 scores vs the A200 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio W90 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A200. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax W90 Gallery and Sony A200 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and size. The Pentax W90 features outer dimensions of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) and the Sony A200 has specifications of 131mm x 99mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 572 grams (1.26 lbs).

Check the Pentax W90 and Sony A200 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the W90 versus the A200.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the W90 and A200 is 94 and 66 respectively.

Often, it's difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizing just by researching a spec sheet. The visual here will help provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the W90 and A200.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The W90 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax W90 will render more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The fresher W90 provides an edge in sensor technology.