Pentax X-5 vs Sony S2100

Its time to look a little more closely at the Pentax X-5 and Sony S2100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Pentax and Sony. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the X-5 (16MP) and S2100 (12MP) but both cameras posses the identical sensor sizes (1/2.3").

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The X-5 was announced 2 years later than the S2100 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax X-5 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony S2100 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a complete comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the X-5 scores versus the S2100 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax X-5 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S2100. The whole galleries are available at Pentax X-5 Gallery & Sony S2100 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you will have to factor in its weight and measurements. The Pentax X-5 comes with external measurements of 119mm x 86mm x 107mm (4.7" x 3.4" x 4.2") having a weight of 595 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Sony S2100 has proportions of 98mm x 61mm x 27mm (3.9" x 2.4" x 1.1") having a weight of 167 grams (0.37 lbs).

Check the Pentax X-5 and Sony S2100 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have during that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the X-5 compared to the S2100.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the X-5 and S2100 is 65 and 93 respectively.

Typically, it can be hard to envision the difference between sensor sizing purely by checking technical specs. The graphic underneath might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the X-5 and S2100.

As you can tell, both cameras feature the identical sensor size but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Pentax X-5 to give you more detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images way more aggressively. The fresher X-5 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.