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Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37

Portability
68
Imaging
43
Features
33
Overall
39
Pentax ist DS2 front
 
Sony SLT-A37 front
Portability
67
Imaging
56
Features
65
Overall
59

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Key Specs

Pentax ist DS2
(Full Review)
  • 6MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • Pentax KAF Mount
  • 605g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
  • Introduced August 2005
Sony A37
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.6" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
  • 506g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
  • Launched May 2012
  • Replaced the Sony A35
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Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Overview

Following is a thorough overview of the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a noticeable difference among the resolutions of the ist DS2 (6MP) and A37 (16MP) but they enjoy the exact same sensor sizing (APS-C).

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The ist DS2 was unveiled 7 years earlier than the A37 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A37 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the ist DS2 matches up against the A37 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Photography Glossary

        

Reasons to pick Pentax ist DS2 over the Sony A37

 ist DS2 A37 

Reasons to pick Sony A37 over the Pentax ist DS2

 A37 ist DS2 
LaunchedMay 2012August 2005More modern by 81 months
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Screen dimension2.6"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.1")
Screen resolution230k210kSharper screen (+20k dot)

Common features in the Pentax ist DS2 and Sony A37

 ist DS2 A37 
Manual focus Very exact focus
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch screen No Touch screen

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Physical Comparison

In case you're intending to carry around your camera, you will need to consider its weight and measurements. The Pentax ist DS2 features outer measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs) and the Sony A37 has proportions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 506 grams (1.12 lbs).

Check out the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the ist DS2 and the A37.

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the ist DS2 and A37 is 68 and 67 respectively.

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 top view buttons comparison

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing technical specs. The pic below will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the ist DS2 and A37.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements albeit not the same MP. You can count on the Sony A37 to result in more detail having an extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged ist DS2 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 sensor size comparison

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Screen and ViewFinder

Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Pentax ist DS2 as a Portrait photography camera
Sony A37 as a Portrait photography camera
49
has manual focus
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
doesn't have liveview
low MP (6MP)
73
manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
provides face detect autofocus
exports RAW files
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Street Comparison

Pentax ist DS2 Street photography advice
Sony A37 Street photography advice
60
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
lighter than competition (605 grams)
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
77
has a tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
above average high ISO (25,600)
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Sports Comparison

Pentax ist DS2 Sports photography features
Sony A37 Sports photography features
38
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with phase detect autofocus
doesn't have liveview
slow fps (3.0 frames/s)
lack of image stabilization
low MP (6 megapixels)
61
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
sensor has phase detect autofocus
max frames per second low (6.0 frames per second)
bad battery power (500 CIPA)
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Travel Comparison

Pentax ist DS2 as a Travel photography camera
Sony A37 as a Travel photography camera
51
lighter than competition (605g)
has built in flash
lack of Timelapse mode
low MP (6MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
54
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
built-in flash
missing Time Lapse mode
bad battery power (500 CIPA)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Pentax ist DS2
Landscape photography with Sony A37
46
has manual focus
swap lenses (Pentax KAF mount)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW files
screen is small (2.5")
doesn't have liveview
lack of image stabilization
low MP (6MP)
lack of Timelapse mode
64
manual focus
change lenses (Sony/Minolta Alpha mount)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
above average high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
screen is small (2.6 inches)
bad battery power (500 shots)
missing Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Pentax ist DS2 as a Vlogging camera
Sony A37 as a Vlogging camera
21
lighter than competition (605g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
video resolution low ( pxls)
lack of external microphone jack
35
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
provides face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes mic socket
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A37 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Pentax ist DS2 and Sony A37
 Pentax ist DS2Sony SLT-A37
General Information
Brand Name Pentax Sony
Model Pentax ist DS2 Sony SLT-A37
Category Advanced DSLR Entry-Level DSLR
Introduced 2005-08-22 2012-05-16
Physical type Mid-size SLR Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size APS-C APS-C
Sensor dimensions 23.5 x 15.7mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 369.0mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 6MP 16MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 3:2 3:2 and 16:9
Full resolution 3008 x 2008 4912 x 3264
Max native ISO 3200 25600
Lowest native ISO 200 100
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 11 15
Cross focus points - 3
Lens
Lens mounting type Pentax KAF Sony/Minolta Alpha
Total lenses 151 143
Crop factor 1.5 1.5
Screen
Type of screen Fixed Type Tilting
Screen sizing 2.5 inches 2.6 inches
Resolution of screen 210k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical Electronic
Viewfinder resolution - 1,440k dots
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification 0.64x 0.73x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 3.0 frames per sec 6.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range - 12.00 m
Flash settings Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, High Speed Sync, Rear Curtain, Fill-in, Wireless
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize - 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60, 29.97 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30fps), 640 x 424 (29.97 fps)
Max video resolution - 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264
Mic port
Headphone port
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 sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 605 gr (1.33 lbs) 506 gr (1.12 lbs)
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 All around score not tested 75
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.3
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 12.9
DXO Low light score not tested 799
Other
Battery life - 500 images
Battery type - Battery Pack
Battery model 4 x AA NP-FW50
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, 10 sec 3 or 5 images)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD/MMC card SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo
Card slots 1 1
Cost at launch - $522