Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax ist DS2

In this article, we are evaluating the Olympus E-PL9 versus Pentax ist DS2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL9 was announced 12 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a in-depth comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-PL9 scores against the ist DS2 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL9 & Pentax ist DS2. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera, you should factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL9 enjoys outer measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) and the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 versus Pentax ist DS2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL9 against the ist DS2.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL9 and ist DS2 is 85 and 68 respectively.

Often, it's hard to picture the difference in sensor sizes only by looking through technical specs. The image underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL9 and ist DS2.

As you can tell, both of those cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL9 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Olympus E-PL9 will render more detail with its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos far more aggressively. The fresher E-PL9 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.