Olympus E-420 vs Pentax ist DS2

Following is a extensive review of the Olympus E-420 vs Pentax ist DS2, one is a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizes.

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The E-420 was launched 2 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-420 grades against the ist DS2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 and Pentax ist DS2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-420 provides outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") and a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 vs Pentax ist DS2 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 versus the ist DS2.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-420 and ist DS2 is 77 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes only by going through specifications. The picture below should offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-420 and ist DS2.

Plainly, both of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-420 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-420 will produce extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs somewhat more aggressively. The younger E-420 should have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.