Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony WX5

Its time to look more closely at the Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony WX5, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Pentax and Sony. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the ist DL2 (6MP) and WX5 (12MP) and the ist DL2 (APS-C) and WX5 (1/2.3") provide different sensor sizes.

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The ist DL2 was unveiled 5 years before the WX5 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony WX5 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a full comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the ist DL2 grades versus the WX5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax ist DL2 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5. The full galleries are available at Pentax ist DL2 Gallery and Sony WX5 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Pentax ist DL2 comes with outer dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs) and the Sony WX5 has specifications of 92mm x 52mm x 22mm (3.6" x 2.0" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 146 grams (0.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony WX5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the ist DL2 and the WX5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the ist DL2 and WX5 is 69 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizing just by going over a spec sheet. The visual underneath may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the ist DL2 and WX5.

As you can see, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The ist DL2 using its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF simpler and the Sony WX5 will offer greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older ist DL2 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.