Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony RX10 III

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Pentax ist DS2 and Sony RX10 III, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Large Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Pentax and Sony. There exists a large gap between the resolutions of the ist DS2 (6MP) and RX10 III (20MP) and the ist DS2 (APS-C) and RX10 III (1") boast totally different sensor measurements.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The ist DS2 was brought out 11 years earlier than the RX10 III and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony RX10 III being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summation of how the ist DS2 scores against the RX10 III in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax ist DS2 & Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III. The entire galleries are viewable at Pentax ist DS2 Gallery & Sony RX10 III Gallery.

If you are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and volume. The Pentax ist DS2 comes with external dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs) and the Sony RX10 III has sizing of 133mm x 94mm x 127mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 5.0") accompanied by a weight of 1051 grams (2.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Pentax ist DS2 and Sony RX10 III in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the ist DS2 against the RX10 III.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the ist DS2 and RX10 III is 68 and 53 respectively.

More often than not, it is very tough to see the difference between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The graphic underneath may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the ist DS2 and RX10 III.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The ist DS2 due to its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Sony RX10 III will deliver greater detail having its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The older ist DS2 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.