Pentax X90 vs Sony A9

Below is a thorough comparison of the Pentax X90 and Sony A9, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Pro Mirrorless by brands Pentax and Sony. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the X90 (12MP) and A9 (24MP) and the X90 (1/2.3") and A9 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The X90 was manufactured 7 years prior to the A9 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax X90 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony A9 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the X90 matches up vs the A9 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax X90 & Sony Alpha A9. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax X90 Gallery & Sony A9 Gallery.

In case you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax X90 provides outer dimensions of 111mm x 85mm x 110mm (4.4" x 3.3" x 4.3") having a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony A9 has specifications of 127mm x 96mm x 63mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.5") and a weight of 673 grams (1.48 lbs).

Compare the Pentax X90 and Sony A9 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the X90 versus the A9.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the X90 and A9 is 69 and 65 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by seeing specs. The graphic here may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the X90 and A9.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The X90 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Sony A9 will provide greater detail due to its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older X90 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.