Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony HX5

On this page, we will be looking at the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony HX5, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ist DS2 (6MP) and HX5 (10MP) and the ist DS2 (APS-C) and HX5 (1/2.4") provide different sensor sizing.

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The ist DS2 was manufactured 5 years before the HX5 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX5 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a full comparison, here is a simple view of how the ist DS2 scores vs the HX5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Pentax ist DS2 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. The entire galleries are available at Pentax ist DS2 Gallery & Sony HX5 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Pentax ist DS2 offers physical measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs) while the Sony HX5 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

Analyze the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony HX5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the ist DS2 compared to the HX5.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the ist DS2 and HX5 is 68 and 92 respectively.

Generally, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions only by checking out a spec sheet. The image underneath might give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the ist DS2 and HX5.

As you can see, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The ist DS2 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field easier and the Sony HX5 will show extra detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged ist DS2 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.