Pentax W90 vs Sony RX100

Following is a in depth overview of the Pentax W90 and Sony RX100, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Large Sensor Compact by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a substantial gap among the image resolutions of the W90 (12MP) and RX100 (20MP) and the W90 (1/2.3") and RX100 (1") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The W90 was revealed 3 years before the RX100 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera and the Sony RX100 being a Large Sensor Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the W90 grades against the RX100 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio W90 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100. The full galleries are provided at Pentax W90 Gallery & Sony RX100 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera, you should consider its weight and size. The Pentax W90 offers physical 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) while the Sony RX100 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 36mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.4") with a weight of 240 grams (0.53 lbs).

Examine the Pentax W90 and Sony RX100 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the W90 against the RX100.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the W90 and RX100 is 94 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it is tough to envision the contrast in sensor sizes simply by viewing specs. The image underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the W90 and RX100.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The W90 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Sony RX100 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged W90 will be behind in sensor technology.