Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55
68 Imaging
44 Features
33 Overall
39
67 Imaging
56 Features
80 Overall
65
Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 6MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200
- Pentax KAF Mount
- 605g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
- Revealed August 2005
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Increase to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 500g - 124 x 92 x 85mm
- Revealed August 2010
- New Model is Sony A57
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Let's examine more in depth at the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Pentax and Sony. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the ist DS2 (6MP) and A55 (16MP) but they feature the exact same sensor size (APS-C).
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe ist DS2 was launched 6 years prior to the A55 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the ist DS2 scores against the A55 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Photography Glossary Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax ist DS2 & Sony SLT-A55. The complete galleries are available at Pentax ist DS2 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Pentax ist DS2 over the Sony A55
| ist DS2 | A55 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Sony A55 over the Pentax ist DS2
| A55 | ist DS2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revealed | August 2010 |  | August 2005 | More recent by 60 months |
| Screen type | Fully Articulated |  | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen |
| Screen dimension | 3" |  | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
| Screen resolution | 921k |  | 210k | Crisper screen (+711k dot) |
| Selfie screen |  | Easy selfies |
Common features in the Pentax ist DS2 and Sony A55
| ist DS2 | A55 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus |  | Dial accurate focusing | ||
| Touch friendly screen |  | Absent Touch friendly screen |
Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 Physical Comparison
When you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Pentax ist DS2 has got external dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has dimensions of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") having a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).
Check out the Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the ist DS2 vs the A55.
Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the ist DS2 and A55 is 68 and 67 respectively.
Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it is very hard to imagine the contrast in sensor measurements only by going through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the ist DS2 and A55.
Clearly, both cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements albeit different resolution. You can count on the Sony A55 to provide greater detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The older ist DS2 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.
Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 Screen and ViewFinder
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Pentax ist DS2 vs Sony A55 Specifications
| Pentax ist DS2 | Sony SLT-A55 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Pentax | Sony |
| Model type | Pentax ist DS2 | Sony SLT-A55 |
| Category | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Revealed | 2005-08-22 | 2010-08-24 |
| Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | - | Bionz |
| 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 alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 3008 x 2008 | 4912 x 3264 |
| Maximum native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Maximum enhanced ISO | - | 25600 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detect focusing | ||
| Contract detect focusing | ||
| Phase detect focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 11 | 15 |
| Cross type focus points | - | 3 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Pentax KAF | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Available lenses | 151 | 143 |
| Crop factor | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fixed Type | Fully Articulated |
| Display sizing | 2.5 inch | 3 inch |
| Resolution of display | 210 thousand dots | 921 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical | Electronic |
| Viewfinder resolution | - | 1,150 thousand dots |
| Viewfinder coverage | 95% | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.64x | 0.73x |
| Features | ||
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 secs | 30 secs |
| Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | - | 10.00 m (@ ISO 100) |
| Flash options | 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 | ||
| Fastest flash synchronize | - | 1/160 secs |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| 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 support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| 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 | BuiltIn |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 605 grams (1.33 lb) | 500 grams (1.10 lb) |
| 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 | not tested | 73 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.0 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 12.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 816 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 380 photos |
| Battery style | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | 4 x AA | NP-FW50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/MMC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Duo/ Pro-HG Duo |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Pricing at release | - | $800 |
