Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax ist DL2

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax ist DL2, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ist DL2 (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL9 was announced 12 years after the ist DL2 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-PL9 scores vs the ist DL2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Pentax ist DL2. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

When you are looking to travel with your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 provides outside dimensions of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax ist DL2 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL9 and the ist DL2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL9 and ist DL2 is 85 and 69 respectively.

Generally, its tough to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reviewing specs. The pic here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL9 and ist DL2.

All in all, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL9 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-PL9 will offer you greater detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The newer E-PL9 should have a benefit with regard to sensor tech.