Olympus E-400 vs Pentax Q-S1

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-400 and Pentax Q-S1, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-400 (10MP) and the Q-S1 (12MP) is very comparable but the E-400 (Four Thirds) and Q-S1 (1/1.7") come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-400 was brought out 9 years prior to the Q-S1 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-400 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the E-400 scores versus the Q-S1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-400 & Pentax Q-S1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-400 Gallery & Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-400 offers exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 435 grams (0.96 lbs) whilst the Pentax Q-S1 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-400 and Pentax Q-S1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. Here is the front view sizing comparison of the E-400 vs the Q-S1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-400 and Q-S1 is 77 and 92 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to see the difference in sensor sizes simply by going through specs. The image underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-400 and Q-S1.

All in all, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-400 featuring a larger sensor will make getting shallow DOF easier and the Pentax Q-S1 will show more detail having its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-400 will be behind in sensor tech.