Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax K100D

Following is a thorough overview of the Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax K100D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and K100D (6MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and K100D (APS-C) posses totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SH-50 was launched 6 years after the K100D which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a brief view of how the SH-50 matches up vs the K100D in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SH-50 and Pentax K100D. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-50 has 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 K100D has specifications of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax K100D in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the SH-50 against the K100D.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SH-50 and K100D is 88 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to see the difference in sensor sizes simply by viewing specifications. The image below may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-50 and K100D.

Plainly, both cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 due to its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh trickier and the Olympus SH-50 will provide you with extra detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The fresher SH-50 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.