Pentax XG-1 vs Sony TX5

Lets take a closer look at the Pentax XG-1 and Sony TX5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Ultracompact by companies Pentax and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the XG-1 (16MP) and TX5 (10MP) and the XG-1 (1/2.3") and TX5 (1/2.4") use totally different sensor measurements.

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The XG-1 was brought out 4 years after the TX5 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Pentax XG-1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Sony TX5 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a short summary of how the XG-1 grades versus the TX5 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax XG-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax XG-1 Gallery and Sony TX5 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Pentax XG-1 comes with external measurements of 119mm x 89mm x 98mm (4.7" x 3.5" x 3.9") having a weight of 567 grams (1.25 lbs) whilst the Sony TX5 has specifications of 94mm x 57mm x 18mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 148 grams (0.33 lbs).

Compare the Pentax XG-1 and Sony TX5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the XG-1 vs the TX5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the XG-1 and TX5 is 66 and 96 respectively.

Typically, its hard to see the contrast in sensor sizes simply by seeing technical specs. The pic here will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the XG-1 and TX5.

As you can tell, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The XG-1 because of its bigger sensor will make achieving bokeh easier and the Pentax XG-1 will produce more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more recent XG-1 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.