Pentax X70 vs Sony W550

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Pentax X70 and Sony W550, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the X70 (12MP) and the W550 (14MP) is very comparable and they use the same exact sensor size (1/2.3").

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The X70 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the W550 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Pentax X70 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony W550 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before going through a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the X70 grades against the W550 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax X70 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W550. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax X70 Gallery & Sony W550 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax X70 has exterior dimensions of 110mm x 83mm x 90mm (4.3" x 3.3" x 3.5") along with a weight of 410 grams (0.90 lbs) while the Sony W550 has specifications of 94mm x 56mm x 19mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 110 grams (0.24 lbs).

See the Pentax X70 and Sony W550 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the X70 compared to the W550.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the X70 and W550 is 71 and 96 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements just by going through specifications. The photograph below will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the X70 and W550.

To sum up, both the cameras offer the same exact sensor sizing but not the same MP. You can expect to see the Sony W550 to provide more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a little more aggressively. The older X70 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.