Olympus E-420 vs Pentax P80

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-420 and Pentax P80, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the P80 (12MP) is pretty well matched but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and P80 (1/2.3") enjoy different sensor measurements.

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The E-420 was revealed 13 months before the P80 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax P80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-420 grades vs the P80 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 and Pentax Optio P80. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Pentax P80 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry around your camera, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 has exterior measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Pentax P80 has specifications of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-420 and Pentax P80 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-420 and the P80.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and P80 is 77 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to picture the contrast between sensor sizes merely by checking specifications. The picture here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and P80.

To sum up, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-420 having a bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax P80 will give you more detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.