Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax ist DL2

On this page, we are matching up the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax ist DL2, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a significant gap between the sensor resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizes.

Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

The SH-50 was unveiled 7 years after the ist DL2 which is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a in-depth comparison, here is a brief summary of how the SH-50 grades vs the ist DL2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SH-50 and Pentax ist DL2. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-50 Gallery and Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-50 has got 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) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has specifications of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax ist DL2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-50 and the ist DL2.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-50 and ist DL2 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Typically, its tough to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reading through technical specs. The picture underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-50 and ist DL2.

As you can tell, both of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SH-50 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will give you more detail having an extra 10MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos more aggressively. The more modern SH-50 should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.