Pentax XG-1 vs Sony HX5

Lets look a bit more closely at the Pentax XG-1 vs Sony HX5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the XG-1 (16MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the XG-1 (1/2.3") and HX5 (1/2.4") possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The XG-1 was unveiled 4 years later than the HX5 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the XG-1 scores vs the HX5 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax XG-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax XG-1 Gallery and Sony HX5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor in its weight and volume. The Pentax XG-1 features physical measurements of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") and a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs) whilst the Sony HX5 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Compare the Pentax XG-1 vs Sony HX5 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is the front view measurement comparison of the XG-1 compared to the HX5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XG-1 and HX5 is 66 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor measurements simply by checking technical specs. The visual below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the XG-1 and HX5.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XG-1 using its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Pentax XG-1 will give greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The more modern XG-1 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.