Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax VS20

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax VS20, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

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The E-M1 III was manufactured 8 years later than the VS20 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before we go straight into a thorough comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-M1 III matches up versus the VS20 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Pentax Optio VS20. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Pentax VS20 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 III enjoys exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) whilst the Pentax VS20 has sizing of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax VS20 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 III vs the VS20.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 III and VS20 is 67 and 90 respectively.

Oftentimes, its hard to picture the difference in sensor measurements merely by looking through specifications. The photograph here should provide you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 III and VS20.

To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 III featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 III will render more detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 III should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.