Olympus E-510 vs Pentax ist DS2

Below, we are matching up the Olympus E-510 and Pentax ist DS2, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-510 was revealed 2 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras come with the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-510 matches up vs the ist DS2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 and Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera often, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 has physical measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-510 and Pentax ist DS2 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-510 compared to the ist DS2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and ist DS2 is 69 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to envision the contrast between sensor measurements simply by going over specs. The photograph here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-510 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-510 will offer you extra detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The fresher E-510 will have a benefit in sensor tech.