Pentax X90 vs Sony W830

Let's look more closely at the Pentax X90 and Sony W830, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Ultracompact by brands Pentax and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the sensor resolutions of the X90 (12MP) and W830 (20MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The X90 was launched 4 years prior to the W830 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax X90 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony W830 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a short summary of how the X90 scores vs the W830 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax X90 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W830. The complete galleries are available at Pentax X90 Gallery and Sony W830 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Pentax X90 provides exterior 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 W830 has measurements of 93mm x 52mm x 23mm (3.7" x 2.0" x 0.9") with a weight of 122 grams (0.27 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax X90 and Sony W830 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is a front view size comparison of the X90 versus the W830.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the X90 and W830 is 69 and 96 respectively.

More often than not, it can be tough to see the difference between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The graphic underneath will help provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the X90 and W830.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You should count on the Sony W830 to give you extra detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures more aggressively. The older X90 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.