Pentax X-5 vs Sony A390

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Pentax X-5 and Sony A390, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the X-5 (16MP) and the A390 (14MP) is pretty comparable but the X-5 (1/2.3") and A390 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The X-5 was launched 2 years after the A390 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax X-5 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a short overview of how the X-5 scores against the A390 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax X-5 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The complete galleries are viewable at Pentax X-5 Gallery & Sony A390 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Pentax X-5 comes with outside measurements of 119mm x 86mm x 107mm (4.7" x 3.4" x 4.2") having a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs) and the Sony A390 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") and a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Pentax X-5 and Sony A390 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the X-5 vs the A390.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the X-5 and A390 is 65 and 66 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions only by going through technical specs. The pic here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the X-5 and A390.

As you can tell, each of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The X-5 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax X-5 will produce more detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The younger X-5 is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.