Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33
69 Imaging
44 Features
33 Overall
39


67 Imaging
54 Features
80 Overall
64
Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 6MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 3200
- Pentax KAF Mount
- 565g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
- Announced January 2006
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Boost to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
- Introduced August 2010
- Replacement is Sony A35

Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Overview
Lets take a deeper look at the Pentax ist DL2 versus Sony A33, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Pentax and Sony. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the ist DL2 (6MP) and A33 (14MP) but both cameras have the same sensor size (APS-C).

The ist DL2 was manufactured 5 years earlier than the A33 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the ist DL2 grades against the A33 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax ist DL2 and Sony SLT-A33. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax ist DL2 Gallery and Sony A33 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax ist DL2 over the Sony A33
ist DL2 | A33 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A33 over the Pentax ist DL2
A33 | ist DL2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | August 2010 | ![]() | January 2006 | More recent by 55 months |
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 210k | Clearer display (+711k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Pentax ist DL2 and Sony A33
ist DL2 | A33 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | More exact focusing | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Neither offers Touch friendly display |
Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Physical Comparison
If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax ist DL2 offers external dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs) whilst the Sony A33 has measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).
Examine the Pentax ist DL2 versus Sony A33 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view size comparison of the ist DL2 versus the A33.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the ist DL2 and A33 is 69 and 67 respectively.

Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is very hard to envision the difference between sensor measurements simply by checking a spec sheet. The graphic below should give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ist DL2 and A33.
As you can see, both of these cameras provide the same sensor dimensions but not the same MP. You should anticipate the Sony A33 to give you more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The older ist DL2 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax ist DL2 vs Sony A33 Specifications
Pentax ist DL2 | Sony SLT-A33 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Pentax | Sony |
Model type | Pentax ist DL2 | Sony SLT-A33 |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2006-01-27 | 2010-08-24 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | - | Bionz |
Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
Sensor size | APS-C | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 23.5 x 15.7mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 369.0mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 6MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Peak resolution | 3008 x 2008 | 4592 x 3056 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
Highest enhanced ISO | - | 25600 |
Lowest native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW files | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Autofocus center weighted | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection focus | ||
Contract detection focus | ||
Phase detection focus | ||
Total focus points | 5 | 15 |
Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Pentax KAF | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 151 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Screen sizing | 2.5 inches | 3 inches |
Resolution of screen | 210k dot | 921k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,150k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.57x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0 frames per second | 7.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | - | 1/160 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps) |
Highest video resolution | - | 1920x1080 |
Video format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | No | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environmental seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 565g (1.25 lbs) | 500g (1.10 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 125 x 93 x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") | 124 x 92 x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 65 | 70 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.9 | 22.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 11.1 | 12.6 |
DXO Low light rating | 639 | 591 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 340 shots |
Battery form | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | 4 x AA | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/MMC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | One | One |
Pricing at release | - | $230 |