Olympus E-420 vs Pentax P70

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus E-420 versus Pentax P70, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the P70 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and P70 (1/2.3") offer different sensor dimensions.

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The E-420 was launched 8 months earlier than the P70 so they are both of a similar generation. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-420 matches up vs the P70 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-420 and Pentax Optio P70. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Pentax P70 Gallery.

If you are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 offers external dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Pentax P70 has specifications of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 versus Pentax P70 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with during that time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 versus the P70.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and P70 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the difference in sensor measurements simply by checking out technical specs. The graphic here will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and P70.

As you can tell, both cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-420 because of its larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax P70 will show greater detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older E-420 will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.