Olympus E-1 vs Pentax P70

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-1 versus Pentax P70, one is a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and P70 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and P70 (1/2.3") offer different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was manufactured 6 years earlier than the P70 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-1 matches up versus the P70 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Pentax Optio P70. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Pentax P70 Gallery.

For those who are going to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 has got external measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") and a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Pentax P70 has proportions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-1 versus Pentax P70 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-1 compared to the P70.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and P70 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes simply by checking technical specs. The image below will give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and P70.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-1 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Pentax P70 will give you extra detail due to its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be behind with regard to sensor innovation.