Olympus E-420 vs Pentax S1

The following is a in-depth review of the Olympus E-420 vs Pentax S1, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and S1 (14MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-420 was revealed 3 years before the S1 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before going right into a thorough comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-420 grades vs the S1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 and Pentax Optio S1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Pentax S1 Gallery.

In case you're looking to travel with your camera, you have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 comes with external measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") along with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Pentax S1 has proportions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-420 vs Pentax S1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the E-420 compared to the S1.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and S1 is 77 and 93 respectively.

Typically, it is very tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions just by reading through technical specs. The image here will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and S1.

As you have seen, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field less difficult and the Pentax S1 will give more detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop photographs more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.