Olympus E-400 vs Pentax MX-1

On this page, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-400 versus Pentax MX-1, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the MX-1 (12MP) is pretty similar but the E-400 (Four Thirds) and MX-1 (1/1.7") boast different sensor sizes.

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The E-400 was manufactured 7 years prior to the MX-1 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax MX-1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-400 grades against the MX-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-400 & Pentax MX-1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-400 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 has got outer dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) while the Pentax MX-1 has specifications of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") along with a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-400 versus Pentax MX-1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-400 compared to the MX-1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and MX-1 is 77 and 84 respectively.

More often than not, it's tough to imagine the gap between sensor sizing purely by reading specifications. The graphic here might provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-400 and MX-1.

Plainly, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-400 because of its bigger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax MX-1 will offer more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-400 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.