Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax S1

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-P3 and Pentax S1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-P3 (12MP) and the S1 (14MP) is pretty well matched but the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-P3 was manufactured 6 months later than the S1 and they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving into a complete comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-P3 scores versus the S1 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Pentax Optio S1. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Pentax S1 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 features exterior measurements of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Pentax S1 has specifications of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P3 and Pentax S1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-P3 versus the S1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and S1 is 86 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to envision the gap between sensor measurements purely by looking at technical specs. The visual below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P3 and S1.

As you can tell, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 because of its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Pentax S1 will give you more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures way more aggressively.