Olympus E-500 vs Pentax Q-S1

In this write-up, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-500 and Pentax Q-S1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and Q-S1 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and Q-S1 (1/1.7") enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was manufactured 9 years earlier than the Q-S1 which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a full comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-500 matches up versus the Q-S1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Pentax Q-S1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to carry around your camera, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-500 has external dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax Q-S1 has measurements of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") with a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-500 and Pentax Q-S1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you have at that moment. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-500 against the Q-S1.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and Q-S1 is 70 and 92 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to visualize the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading a spec sheet. The picture here will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and Q-S1.

As you can see, both cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-500 due to its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Pentax Q-S1 will offer you greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.