Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax K-S1

Following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-PL9 versus Pentax K-S1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL9 (16MP) and the K-S1 (20MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and K-S1 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL9 was brought out 3 years after the K-S1 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-PL9 scores vs the K-S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Pentax K-S1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys outer dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Pentax K-S1 has measurements of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL9 versus Pentax K-S1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 and the K-S1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and K-S1 is 85 and 69 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes purely by going over specs. The image below should offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and K-S1.

All in all, both of these cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax K-S1 will offer you greater detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.