Olympus E-300 vs Pentax S1

Here, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-300 and Pentax S1, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and S1 (14MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-300 was released 7 years prior to the S1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-300 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-300 matches up vs the S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-300 and Pentax Optio S1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-300 Gallery and Pentax S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera, you should factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-300 has physical dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") along with a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) and the Pentax S1 has proportions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-300 and Pentax S1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-300 versus the S1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and S1 is 67 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to see the difference in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The photograph below should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and S1.

As you have seen, each of these cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-300 due to its bigger sensor will make getting bokeh less difficult and the Pentax S1 will render extra detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The older E-300 will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.