Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500
66 Imaging
40 Features
37 Overall
38
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69 Imaging
63 Features
54 Overall
59
Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-1248mm (F2.8-5.6) lens
- 567g - 119 x 89 x 98mm
- Introduced July 2014
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 16000
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony E Mount
- 411g - 128 x 91 x 85mm
- Introduced March 2014
- Succeeded the Sony A3000
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Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Overview
Following is a extensive comparison of the Pentax XG-1 and Sony a3500, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Pentax and Sony. The sensor resolution of the XG-1 (16MP) and the a3500 (20MP) is pretty comparable but the XG-1 (1/2.3") and a3500 (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.
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The XG-1 was unveiled 4 months after the a3500 so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony a3500 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.
Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a short summation of how the XG-1 matches up against the a3500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax XG-1 and Sony Alpha a3500. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax XG-1 Gallery and Sony a3500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax XG-1 over the Sony a3500
XG-1 | a3500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Screen resolution | 460k | ![]() | 230k | Sharper screen (+230k dot) |
Reasons to pick Sony a3500 over the Pentax XG-1
a3500 | XG-1 |
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Common features in the Pentax XG-1 and Sony a3500
XG-1 | a3500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | July 2014 | ![]() | March 2014 | Same generation |
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Equal screen dimensions |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Lacking Touch screen |
Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is intending to carry around your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and size. The Pentax XG-1 features outside measurements of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") along with a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs) while the Sony a3500 has specifications of 128mm x 91mm x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") accompanied by a weight of 411 grams (0.91 lbs).
Examine the Pentax XG-1 and Sony a3500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is a front view measurements comparison of the XG-1 and the a3500.
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Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XG-1 and a3500 is 66 and 69 respectively.
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Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it's difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes merely by checking out technical specs. The image here will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the XG-1 and a3500.
As you have seen, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XG-1 using its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Sony a3500 will show more detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively.
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Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
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Street Comparison
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Sports Comparison
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Travel Comparison
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Landscape Comparison
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Vlogging Comparison
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Pentax XG-1 vs Sony a3500 Specifications
Pentax XG-1 | Sony Alpha a3500 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Pentax | Sony |
Model | Pentax XG-1 | Sony Alpha a3500 |
Class | Small Sensor Superzoom | Entry-Level Mirrorless |
Introduced | 2014-07-15 | 2014-03-21 |
Body design | SLR-like (bridge) | SLR-style mirrorless |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | BIONZ image |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 28.1mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 20MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5456 x 3632 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 16000 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect AF | ||
Contract detect AF | ||
Phase detect AF | ||
Number of focus points | - | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | fixed lens | Sony E |
Lens focal range | 24-1248mm (52.0x) | - |
Maximal aperture | f/2.8-5.6 | - |
Macro focus distance | 1cm | - |
Amount of lenses | - | 121 |
Crop factor | 5.8 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display diagonal | 3" | 3" |
Display resolution | 460k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Display tech | - | TFT LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Electronic | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | 200k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.47x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 9.0fps | 4.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 6.00 m | 6.00 m (at ISO200 / 4m at ISO100) |
Flash modes | Force Off, Flash Auto, Force Flash, Slow Sync., Slow Sync. + Red-Eye, Red-Eye Reduction | Flash off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Rear Sync. |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (120 fps) | 1920 x 1080 |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 567 gr (1.25 pounds) | 411 gr (0.91 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 119 x 89 x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") | 128 x 91 x 85mm (5.0" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 240 images | 470 images |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | LB-060 | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) | Yes (2-sec. or 10-sec. delay) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC | - |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at launch | $599 | $398 |