Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax I-10

In this write-up, we will be matching up the Olympus PEN-F and Pentax I-10, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and I-10 (12MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and I-10 (1/2.3") use totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was launched 6 years later than the I-10 and that is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax I-10 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the PEN-F grades vs the I-10 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN-F & Pentax Optio I-10. The complete galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Pentax I-10 Gallery.

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you will have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus PEN-F provides external measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") having a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Pentax I-10 has specifications of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") along with a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).

Examine the Olympus PEN-F and Pentax I-10 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the PEN-F against the I-10.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and I-10 is 84 and 93 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements simply by going over a spec sheet. The graphic here might give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and I-10.

As you can see, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The PEN-F because of its bigger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will offer you greater detail utilizing its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more modern PEN-F will have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.