Pentax X90 vs Sony a5100

Lets look a little more in depth at the Pentax X90 vs Sony a5100, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the X90 (12MP) and a5100 (24MP) and the X90 (1/2.3") and a5100 (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The X90 was brought out 5 years earlier than the a5100 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Pentax X90 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony a5100 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the X90 scores against the a5100 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax X90 & Sony Alpha a5100. The entire galleries are provided at Pentax X90 Gallery & Sony a5100 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax X90 has external dimensions of 111mm x 85mm x 110mm (4.4" x 3.3" x 4.3") along with a weight of 428 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Sony a5100 has measurements of 110mm x 63mm x 36mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.4") and a weight of 283 grams (0.62 lbs).

See the Pentax X90 vs Sony a5100 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you choose during that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the X90 vs the a5100.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the X90 and a5100 is 69 and 89 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing merely by looking through specifications. The photograph below might give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the X90 and a5100.

Plainly, both cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The X90 because of its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field tougher and the Sony a5100 will result in more detail having its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images a little more aggressively. The older X90 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.