Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax MX-1

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax MX-1, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and MX-1 (12MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and MX-1 (1/1.7") provide different sensor sizes.

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The SH-50 was launched 5 months before the MX-1 which means that they are of a similar age. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Compact).

Before delving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the SH-50 grades vs the MX-1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SH-50 & Pentax MX-1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Pentax MX-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus SH-50 enjoys external measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") having a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) whilst the Pentax MX-1 has specifications of 122mm x 61mm x 51mm (4.8" x 2.4" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 391 grams (0.86 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax MX-1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the SH-50 versus the MX-1.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the SH-50 and MX-1 is 88 and 84 respectively.

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes purely by going over technical specs. The pic here should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-50 and MX-1.

As you have seen, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus SH-50 will offer you more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively.