Olympus E-1 vs Pentax MX-1

Below is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-1 versus Pentax MX-1, one being a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") come with different sensor measurements.

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The E-1 was manufactured 10 years prior to the MX-1 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a thorough comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-1 matches up against the MX-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 and Pentax MX-1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 features physical dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Pentax MX-1 has proportions of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-1 versus Pentax MX-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view sizing comparison of the E-1 and the MX-1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and MX-1 is 59 and 84 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements just by looking at technical specs. The photograph here may give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-1 and MX-1.

As you can tell, both of the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-1 featuring a bigger sensor is going to make getting bokeh simpler and the Pentax MX-1 will give you more detail due to its extra 7MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.