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Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300

Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29
Pentax Optio W90 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300 front
Portability
63
Imaging
44
Features
51
Overall
46

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Key Specs

Pentax W90
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 164g - 108 x 59 x 25mm
  • Revealed February 2010
Sony HX300
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 80 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-1200mm (F2.8-6.3) lens
  • 623g - 130 x 103 x 93mm
  • Launched February 2013
  • Old Model is Sony HX200V
  • Refreshed by Sony HX400V
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Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Overview

Lets look more closely at the Pentax W90 versus Sony HX300, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Pentax and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the W90 (12MP) and HX300 (20MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The W90 was launched 4 years prior to the HX300 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX300 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the W90 grades versus the HX300 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Pentax W90 over the Sony HX300

 W90 HX300 

Reasons to pick Sony HX300 over the Pentax W90

 HX300 W90 
LaunchedFebruary 2013February 2010More modern by 36 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimensions3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution921k230kSharper screen (+691k dot)

Common features in the Pentax W90 and Sony HX300

 W90 HX300 
Manual focus Dial accurate focusing
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch screen Lacking Touch screen

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Physical Comparison

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you have to factor its weight and volume. The Pentax W90 has got exterior dimensions 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 Sony HX300 has sizing of 130mm x 103mm x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7") accompanied by a weight of 623 grams (1.37 lbs).

Analyze the Pentax W90 versus Sony HX300 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you choose during that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the W90 vs the HX300.

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the W90 and HX300 is 94 and 63 respectively.

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 top view buttons comparison

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very tough to picture the gap between sensor sizes merely by reviewing specifications. The image below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the W90 and HX300.

Plainly, both cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different resolution. You should expect the Sony HX300 to offer extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged W90 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 sensor size comparison

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax W90 Portrait photography highlights
Sony HX300 Portrait photography highlights
27
focusing manually
lack of manual mode
no external flash support
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW support
42
has manual focus
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
cannot use external flash
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
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Street Comparison

Pentax W90 Street photography info
Sony HX300 Street photography info
54
weather proofing
fixed screen
no image stabilization
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW support
50
screen tilts
image stabilization (Optical)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
more heavy than competitors (623g)
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Pentax W90 Sports photography highlights
Sony HX300 Sports photography highlights
24
weather proofing
low fps (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no phase detect AF
55
incredible zoom range (24-1200mm 50.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20MP)
offers tracking autofocus
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Pentax W90 as a Travel photography camera
Sony HX300 as a Travel photography camera
64
weather proofing
has built in flash
really wide (28mm)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
screen is not selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
54
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
has built in flash
rather wide (24mm)
long reach (1200mm)
doesn't have Timelapse function
more heavy than competitors (623 grams)
screen is not selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Pentax W90
Landscape photography with Sony HX300
37
focusing manually
really wide (28mm)
weather proofing
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inch)
lack of manual mode
no image stabilization
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
no RAW support
48
has manual focus
rather wide (24mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
MP count decent (20 megapixels)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
doesn't have Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax W90 Vlogging info
Sony HX300 Vlogging info
25
really wide (28mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of external microphone socket
25
rather wide (24mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
slow max aperture (f2.8)
screen is not selfie friendly
doesn't have external microphone jack
more heavy than competitors (623g)
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Pentax W90 vs Sony HX300 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax W90 and Sony HX300
 Pentax Optio W90Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300
General Information
Brand Name Pentax Sony
Model type Pentax Optio W90 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300
Class Waterproof Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed 2010-02-24 2013-02-20
Body design Compact SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor Information
Chip Prime -
Sensor type CCD BSI-CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.16 x 4.62mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 28.5mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 20MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 -
Peak resolution 4000 x 3000 5184 x 3888
Highest native ISO 6400 12800
Minimum native ISO 80 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points 9 9
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens fixed lens
Lens zoom range 28-140mm (5.0x) 24-1200mm (50.0x)
Highest aperture f/3.5-5.5 f/2.8-6.3
Macro focusing range 1cm -
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Range of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.7 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Electronic
Features
Minimum shutter speed 4 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/1500 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed 1.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.90 m -
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft -
Hot shoe
AEB
WB 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) 1920 x 1080 (60, 50 fps)
Highest video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video file format Motion JPEG -
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 164 grams (0.36 pounds) 623 grams (1.37 pounds)
Physical dimensions 108 x 59 x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") 130 x 103 x 93mm (5.1" x 4.1" x 3.7")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery ID D-LI68 -
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 sec) -
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC card, Internal -
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at release $120 $339