Pentax W90 vs Sony A230

Here is a thorough assessment of the Pentax W90 and Sony A230, former being a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the W90 (12MP) and the A230 (10MP) is fairly similar but the W90 (1/2.3") and A230 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The W90 was manufactured 10 months later than the A230 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the W90 scores vs the A230 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax Optio W90 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax W90 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Pentax W90 enjoys outer dimensions of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") and a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs) whilst the Sony A230 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).

Examine the Pentax W90 and Sony A230 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the W90 versus the A230.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the W90 and A230 is 94 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to envision the gap between sensor sizing simply by going over specifications. The visual below may offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the W90 and A230.

To sum up, each of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The W90 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax W90 will offer you more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent W90 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.