Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax S1

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus PEN-F and Pentax S1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and S1 (14MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was announced 4 years later than the S1 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the PEN-F scores against the S1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN-F and Pentax Optio S1. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Pentax S1 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus PEN-F has outside measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") with a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Pentax S1 has proportions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus PEN-F and Pentax S1 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is the front view measurement comparison of the PEN-F and the S1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the PEN-F and S1 is 84 and 93 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading through technical specs. The graphic below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the PEN-F and S1.

As you have seen, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The PEN-F with its larger sensor will make achieving shallow DOF easier and the Olympus PEN-F will give more detail with its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The younger PEN-F is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.