Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax RS1500

Below is a extended assessment of the Olympus E-M1 II versus Pentax RS1500, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and RS1500 (14MP) and the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and RS1500 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 II was launched 5 years later than the RS1500 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera.

Before delving into a complete comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-M1 II grades versus the RS1500 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II & Pentax Optio RS1500. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 II Gallery & Pentax RS1500 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II comes with outside dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Pentax RS1500 has specifications of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M1 II versus Pentax RS1500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M1 II against the RS1500.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 II and RS1500 is 68 and 93 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements only by checking out specifications. The graphic below might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 II and RS1500.

Plainly, both the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II due to its larger sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-M1 II will show more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II will have an edge in sensor innovation.