Olympus E-P2 vs Pentax VS20

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-P2 versus Pentax VS20, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-P2 (12MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-P2 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-P2 was brought out 21 months before the VS20 making them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-P2 matches up against the VS20 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P2 & Pentax Optio VS20. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P2 Gallery & Pentax VS20 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P2 comes with outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax VS20 has dimensions of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") and a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-P2 versus Pentax VS20 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the E-P2 vs the VS20.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-P2 and VS20 is 86 and 90 respectively.

Generally, its tough to see the gap between sensor sizing merely by reading a spec sheet. The graphic below may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P2 and VS20.

As you can see, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P2 featuring a larger sensor will make getting bokeh simpler and the Pentax VS20 will offer more detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-P2 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.