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Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2

Portability
86
Imaging
47
Features
42
Overall
45
Olympus PEN E-P1 front
 
Pentax ist DS2 front
Portability
68
Imaging
45
Features
33
Overall
40

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Key Specs

Olympus E-P1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 355g - 121 x 70 x 36mm
  • Released July 2009
  • Successor is Olympus E-P2
Pentax ist DS2
(Full Review)
  • 6MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • Pentax KAF Mount
  • 605g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
  • Introduced August 2005
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Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Overview

Following is a complete assessment of the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax ist DS2, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) possess different sensor size.

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The E-P1 was announced 3 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-P1 scores versus the ist DS2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-P1 over the Pentax ist DS2

 E-P1 ist DS2 
IntroducedJuly 2009August 2005More modern by 48 months
Display dimension3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution230k210kCrisper display (+20k dot)

Reasons to pick Pentax ist DS2 over the Olympus E-P1

 ist DS2 E-P1 

Common features in the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax ist DS2

 E-P1 ist DS2 
Focus manually More accurate focus
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Absent selfie screen
Touch display Absent Touch display

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Physical Comparison

If you are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 enjoys outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax ist DS2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P1 versus the ist DS2.

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 size comparison

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and ist DS2 is 86 and 68 respectively.

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is very tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizes only by researching technical specs. The image here will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and ist DS2.

As you have seen, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus E-P1 will provide you with greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics much more aggressively. The more recent E-P1 should have a benefit in sensor tech.

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-P1 Portrait photography details
Pentax ist DS2 Portrait photography details
60
has manual focus
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focusing
supports RAW formats
MP count low (12MP)
51
has manual focus
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
does not have liveview
MP count low (6 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-P1 Street photography factors
Pentax ist DS2 Street photography factors
74
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
screen is fixed
60
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
lighter than average (605 grams)
no articulating screen
does not have image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-P1
Sports photography with Pentax ist DS2
40
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
slow fps (3.0 frames per second)
MP count low (12MP)
low battery pack (300 CIPA)
does not have phase detect AF
39
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with phase detect auto focus
does not have liveview
low fps (3.0 frames/s)
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (6MP)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-P1
Travel photography with Pentax ist DS2
43
no Time Lapse recording
low battery pack (300 shots)
MP count low (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
52
lighter than average (605g)
flash built-in
doesn't have Time Lapse function
MP count low (6 megapixels)
does not contain selfie friendly display
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-P1 Landscape photography factors
Pentax ist DS2 Landscape photography factors
60
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
MP count low (12MP)
low battery pack (300 CIPA)
no Time Lapse recording
47
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF mount)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW files
screen is somewhat small (2.5 inches)
does not have liveview
does not have image stabilization
MP count low (6 megapixels)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-P1 Vlogging highlights
Pentax ist DS2 Vlogging highlights
29
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detect focusing
display is not selfie friendly
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
no mic socket
22
lighter than average (605 grams)
does not contain selfie friendly display
does not have image stabilization
low quality video ( pixels)
doesn't have mic jack
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Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax ist DS2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-P1 and Pentax ist DS2
 Olympus PEN E-P1Pentax ist DS2
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus PEN E-P1 Pentax ist DS2
Type Entry-Level Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Released 2009-07-29 2005-08-22
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic V -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixel 6 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Max resolution 4032 x 3024 3008 x 2008
Max native ISO 6400 3200
Minimum native ISO 100 200
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 11 11
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF
Total lenses 107 151
Crop factor 2.1 1.5
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 2.5"
Display resolution 230k dot 210k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Display technology HyperCrystal LCD with AR(Anti-Reflective) coating -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical
Viewfinder coverage - 95 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/4000s 1/4000s
Continuous shutter speed 3.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range no built-in flash -
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/180s -
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) -
Max video resolution 1280x720 -
Video data format Motion JPEG -
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None No
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 355g (0.78 lbs) 605g (1.33 lbs)
Dimensions 121 x 70 x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") 125 x 93 x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 55 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.4 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.4 not tested
DXO Low light score 536 not tested
Other
Battery life 300 shots -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery model BLS-1 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC card SD/MMC card
Storage slots 1 1
Pricing at release $182 -