Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax K-1

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax K-1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) have totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-50 was released 4 years prior to the K-1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a quick overview of how the SH-50 scores against the K-1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SH-50 and Pentax K-1. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Pentax K-1 Gallery.

When you are intending to carry your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-50 comes with external dimensions of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) and the Pentax K-1 has dimensions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax K-1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the SH-50 compared to the K-1.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SH-50 and K-1 is 88 and 55 respectively.

In many cases, it is very hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reviewing specs. The graphic below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-50 and K-1.

All in all, both of those cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SH-50 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-1 will offer extra detail as a result of its extra 20 Megapixels. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The older SH-50 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.