Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony NEX-7

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Pentax ist DL2 and Sony NEX-7, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Pentax and Sony. There exists a substantial gap between the sensor resolutions of the ist DL2 (6MP) and NEX-7 (24MP) but they enjoy the same exact sensor size (APS-C).

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The ist DL2 was launched 6 years prior to the NEX-7 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a brief view of how the ist DL2 grades versus the NEX-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax ist DL2 & Sony Alpha NEX-7. The complete galleries are provided at Pentax ist DL2 Gallery & Sony NEX-7 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and size. The Pentax ist DL2 provides outside dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs) and the Sony NEX-7 has specifications of 120mm x 67mm x 43mm (4.7" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 400 grams (0.88 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax ist DL2 and Sony NEX-7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the ist DL2 versus the NEX-7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ist DL2 and NEX-7 is 69 and 84 respectively.

Quite often, it can be difficult to see the difference between sensor sizing purely by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic here might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the ist DL2 and NEX-7.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit not the same resolution. You can expect the Sony NEX-7 to give greater detail utilizing its extra 18 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop shots far more aggressively. The older ist DL2 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.