Pentax X70 vs Sony A65

Lets look a bit more closely at the Pentax X70 and Sony A65, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the X70 (12MP) and A65 (24MP) and the X70 (1/2.3") and A65 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

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The X70 was revealed 3 years prior to the A65 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax X70 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A65 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the X70 matches up against the A65 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax X70 & Sony SLT-A65. The full galleries are provided at Pentax X70 Gallery & Sony A65 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax X70 comes with physical dimensions of 110mm x 83mm x 90mm (4.3" x 3.3" x 3.5") with a weight of 410 grams (0.90 lbs) whilst the Sony A65 has specifications of 132mm x 97mm x 81mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 3.2") having a weight of 622 grams (1.37 lbs).

Look at the Pentax X70 and Sony A65 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the X70 versus the A65.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the X70 and A65 is 71 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements only by looking at specifications. The visual below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the X70 and A65.

To sum up, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The X70 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Sony A65 will resolve more detail because of its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The older X70 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.