Clicky

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1

Portability
67
Imaging
62
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Pentax Optio S1 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Revealed February 2020
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M1 II
Pentax S1
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Introduced March 2011
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Overview

Following is a extended overview of the Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and S1 (14MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

The E-M1 III was unveiled 9 years after the S1 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-M1 III grades versus the S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Pentax S1

 E-M1 III S1 
IntroducedFebruary 2020March 2011More modern by 109 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1037k230kClearer display (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax S1 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 S1 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax S1

 E-M1 III S1 
Focus manually More accurate focus

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Physical Comparison

For those who are looking to carry around your camera, you should think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 III comes with exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) while the Pentax S1 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising at that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 III and the S1.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 III and S1 is 67 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it can be tough to envision the gap in sensor sizes purely by looking through a spec sheet. The pic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 III and S1.

As you can see, each of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 III with its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Olympus E-M1 III will result in greater detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 III will have an edge in sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Portrait photography with Pentax S1
77
has manual focus
megapixel count good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports face detection autofocus
exports RAW files
35
you can focus manually
good resolution (14 megapixels)
no manual control
cannot use external flash
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

Street Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Street photography features
Pentax S1 Street photography features
78
screen articulates
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
supports touch to focus
environment proofing
very good high ISO (25,600)
56
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen is fixed
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Sports photography details
Pentax S1 Sports photography details
81
high shutter speed (1/8,000s)
quiet shooting (1/32,000s)
high max frames per second (60.0 fps)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports tracking autofocus
environment proofing
supports phase detect autofocus
39
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
features tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames/s)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Travel photography advice
Pentax S1 Travel photography advice
79
environment proofing
supports bluetooth
supports touch to focus
megapixel count good (20MP)
selfie friendly screen
64
good resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
relatively wide (28mm)
does not have Timelapse mode
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax S1 as a Landscape photography camera
81
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count good (20MP)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
does not have low pass filter
very good high ISO (25,600)
exports RAW files
environment proofing
has double storage slots
42
you can focus manually
relatively wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good resolution (14 megapixels)
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7")
no manual control
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support
does not have Timelapse mode
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Vlogging camera
Pentax S1 as a Vlogging camera
79
selfie friendly screen
built-in touchscreen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detection autofocus
high res video (4096 x 2160 pixels)
comes with external mic port
28
relatively wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't posses selfie friendly display
low video resolution (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have microphone support
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax S1
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIPentax Optio S1
General Information
Company Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Pentax Optio S1
Category Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Revealed 2020-02-11 2011-03-02
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic IX -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Highest resolution 5184 x 3888 4288 x 3216
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW data
Minimum boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 121 9
Cross type focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Type of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of display 1,037k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Display tech - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 4s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/1500s
Highest quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 3.90 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 580 grams (1.28 lb) 157 grams (0.35 lb)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 420 images 260 images
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLH-1 D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots Dual Single
Price at launch $1,800 $174