Pentax WS80 vs Sony HX100V

Below is a comprehensive analysis of the Pentax WS80 versus Sony HX100V, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Pentax and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the WS80 (10MP) and HX100V (16MP) but both cameras boast the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

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The WS80 was launched 3 years prior to the HX100V and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax WS80 being a Compact camera and the Sony HX100V being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a short overview of how the WS80 grades vs the HX100V with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax Optio WS80 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax WS80 Gallery and Sony HX100V Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you'll need to factor its weight and volume. The Pentax WS80 provides exterior dimensions of 92mm x 60mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Sony HX100V has sizing of 122mm x 87mm x 93mm (4.8" x 3.4" x 3.7") with a weight of 577 grams (1.27 lbs).

Check out the Pentax WS80 versus Sony HX100V in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the WS80 against the HX100V.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the WS80 and HX100V is 95 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor measurements only by looking at a spec sheet. The photograph below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the WS80 and HX100V.

As you can see, both the cameras feature the identical sensor size but different megapixels. You should expect to see the Sony HX100V to give more detail utilizing its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images way more aggressively. The older WS80 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.