Olympus E-400 vs Pentax I-10

In this write-up, we are evaluating the Olympus E-400 and Pentax I-10, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the I-10 (12MP) is very well matched but the E-400 (Four Thirds) and I-10 (1/2.3") possess different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-400 was brought out 4 years prior to the I-10 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax I-10 being a Compact camera.

Before going in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise synopsis of how the E-400 matches up against the I-10 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-400 and Pentax Optio I-10. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-400 Gallery and Pentax I-10 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 features physical measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") having a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) while the Pentax I-10 has specifications of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") having a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).

See the Olympus E-400 and Pentax I-10 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the E-400 compared to the I-10.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-400 and I-10 is 77 and 93 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizes purely by looking at a spec sheet. The picture below should provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-400 and I-10.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-400 featuring a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax I-10 will give you greater detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics far more aggressively. The more aged E-400 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.