Olympus E-1 vs Pentax VS20

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-1 vs Pentax VS20, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-1 was unveiled 9 years before the VS20 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick synopsis of how the E-1 matches up vs the VS20 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 & Pentax Optio VS20. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Pentax VS20 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera often, you have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 provides outside dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Pentax VS20 has measurements of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") and a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-1 vs Pentax VS20 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-1 vs the VS20.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and VS20 is 59 and 90 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to envision the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through a spec sheet. The photograph here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and VS20.

Clearly, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-1 using its bigger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Pentax VS20 will result in more detail having an extra 11 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The older E-1 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.