Olympus E-1 vs Pentax W80

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-1 versus Pentax W80, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and W80 (12MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and W80 (1/2.3") boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-1 was manufactured 6 years earlier than the W80 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax W80 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-1 matches up versus the W80 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-1 & Pentax Optio W80. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Pentax W80 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-1 has outside measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) while the Pentax W80 has sizing of 100mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-1 versus Pentax W80 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-1 compared to the W80.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-1 and W80 is 59 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to picture the difference between sensor measurements merely by reading technical specs. The photograph underneath might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and W80.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-1 due to its bigger sensor is going to make achieving bokeh easier and the Pentax W80 will offer you more detail due to its extra 7MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.