Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax VS20

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax VS20, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") provide different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P1 was unveiled 3 years before the VS20 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-P1 scores vs the VS20 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Pentax Optio VS20. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Pentax VS20 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera regularly, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 has external dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax VS20 has proportions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") and a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax VS20 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P1 versus the VS20.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and VS20 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reviewing technical specs. The photograph underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and VS20.

As you have seen, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field easier and the Pentax VS20 will offer greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.