Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33
68 Imaging
44 Features
33 Overall
39


67 Imaging
53 Features
80 Overall
63
Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 6MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200
- Pentax KAF Mount
- 605g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
- Announced August 2005
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Push to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
- Launched August 2010
- Newer Model is Sony A35

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Overview
Following is a extended analysis of the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Pentax and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the ist DS2 (6MP) and A33 (14MP) but both cameras have the same sensor measurements (APS-C).

The ist DS2 was revealed 6 years earlier than the A33 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the ist DS2 grades vs the A33 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax ist DS2 & Sony SLT-A33. The full galleries are provided at Pentax ist DS2 Gallery & Sony A33 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax ist DS2 over the Sony A33
ist DS2 | A33 |
---|
Reasons to pick Sony A33 over the Pentax ist DS2
A33 | ist DS2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | August 2010 | ![]() | August 2005 | More modern by 60 months |
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Fixed | Fully Articulating display |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 210k | Crisper display (+711k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Pentax ist DS2 and Sony A33
ist DS2 | A33 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Dial accurate focus | ||
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Missing Touch friendly display |
Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax ist DS2 has got external measurements 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 A33 has measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).
Look at the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you use at that moment. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the ist DS2 against the A33.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the ist DS2 and A33 is 68 and 67 respectively.

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Sensor Comparison
Often, its difficult to see the contrast in sensor sizes simply by viewing specs. The image below may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the ist DS2 and A33.
As you can plainly see, both the cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You can expect to see the Sony A33 to render more detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged ist DS2 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A33 Specifications
Pentax ist DS2 | Sony SLT-A33 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Pentax | Sony |
Model | Pentax ist DS2 | Sony SLT-A33 |
Class | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2005-08-22 | 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 dimensions | 23.5 x 15.7mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor surface area | 369.0mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 6 megapixel | 14 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 3008 x 2008 | 4592 x 3056 |
Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 25600 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 15 |
Cross focus points | - | 3 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Pentax KAF | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 151 | 143 |
Crop factor | 1.5 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of display | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
Display diagonal | 2.5" | 3" |
Resolution of display | 210k dot | 921k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical | Electronic |
Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,150k dot |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.64x | 0.73x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 30s | 30s |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/4000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 3.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | - | 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 |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | - | 1/160s |
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) |
Maximum video resolution | - | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | - | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 |
Mic input | ||
Headphone input | ||
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 | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 605 gr (1.33 pounds) | 500 gr (1.10 pounds) |
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 score | not tested | 70 |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 22.8 |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 12.6 |
DXO Low light score | not tested | 591 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 340 photographs |
Battery format | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | 4 x AA | NP-FW50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/MMC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at release | - | $230 |