Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A350

On this page, we are matching up the Pentax ist DL2 and Sony A350, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the ist DL2 (6MP) and A350 (14MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (APS-C).

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The ist DL2 was manufactured 3 years before the A350 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A350 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the ist DL2 scores vs the A350 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax ist DL2 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A350. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax ist DL2 Gallery & Sony A350 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Pentax ist DL2 comes with physical dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs) whilst the Sony A350 has sizing of 131mm x 99mm x 75mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 674 grams (1.49 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax ist DL2 and Sony A350 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the ist DL2 and the A350.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the ist DL2 and A350 is 69 and 62 respectively.

Often, it is very tough to envision the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing specifications. The graphic underneath will give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the ist DL2 and A350.

To sum up, the two cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You can expect to see the Sony A350 to result in more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The older ist DL2 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.