Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500
92 Imaging
37 Features
57 Overall
45


93 Imaging
37 Features
30 Overall
34
Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/1.7" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 12800
- Optical Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- 24-120mm (F1.8-5.7) lens
- 217g - 100 x 59 x 29mm
- Launched November 2013
- Succeeded the Canon S110
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-110mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
- Revealed March 2011

Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Overview
Following is a extensive overview of the Canon S120 and Pentax RS1500, both Small Sensor Compact cameras by companies Canon and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the S120 (12MP) and the RS1500 (14MP) is relatively close but the S120 (1/1.7") and RS1500 (1/2.3") posses different sensor measurements.

The S120 was manufactured 2 years after the RS1500 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have the same body design (Compact).
Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the S120 scores against the RS1500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Canon PowerShot S120 & Pentax Optio RS1500. The entire galleries are provided at Canon S120 Gallery & Pentax RS1500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Canon S120 over the Pentax RS1500
S120 | RS1500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | November 2013 | ![]() | March 2011 | More modern by 33 months |
Screen dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 922k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer screen (+692k dot) |
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax RS1500 over the Canon S120
RS1500 | S120 |
---|
Common features in the Canon S120 and Pentax RS1500
S120 | RS1500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very exact focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Lacking selfie screen |
Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to consider its weight and size. The Canon S120 has exterior dimensions of 100mm x 59mm x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 217 grams (0.48 lbs) whilst the Pentax RS1500 has specifications of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).
Contrast the Canon S120 and Pentax RS1500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the S120 versus the RS1500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S120 and RS1500 is 92 and 93 respectively.

Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizes simply by researching a spec sheet. The pic below should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the S120 and RS1500.
Clearly, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The S120 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax RS1500 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more recent S120 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.

Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Canon S120 vs Pentax RS1500 Specifications
Canon PowerShot S120 | Pentax Optio RS1500 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Canon | Pentax |
Model | Canon PowerShot S120 | Pentax Optio RS1500 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Small Sensor Compact |
Launched | 2013-11-26 | 2011-03-16 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | Digic 6 | - |
Sensor type | BSI-CMOS | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/1.7" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 7.44 x 5.58mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 41.5mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 14 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 5:4, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Maximum resolution | 4000 x 3000 | 4288 x 3216 |
Maximum native ISO | 12800 | 6400 |
Min native ISO | 80 | 80 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
AF single | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
AF multi area | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Number of focus points | 9 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | 24-120mm (5.0x) | 28-110mm (3.9x) |
Maximum aperture | f/1.8-5.7 | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focus range | 3cm | 1cm |
Crop factor | 4.8 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3" | 2.7" |
Screen resolution | 922 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Screen tech | TFT PureColor II G Touch screen LCD | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 15s | 4s |
Highest shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/1500s |
Continuous shooting rate | 12.0 frames/s | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Change WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash range | 7.00 m | 3.90 m |
Flash modes | Auto, on, slow synchro, off | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 or 30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | MPEG-4, H.264 | Motion JPEG |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | Optional | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 217 gr (0.48 lb) | 157 gr (0.35 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 100 x 59 x 29mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 1.1") | 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 56 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.3 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | 11.9 | not tested |
DXO Low light score | 246 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 230 photographs | 260 photographs |
Battery type | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | NB-6LH | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec, Custom) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | Single | Single |
Price at launch | $449 | $150 |