Olympus SH-50 vs Pentax ist DS2

Following is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax ist DS2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap among the resolutions of the SH-50 (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the SH-50 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) feature different sensor size.

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The SH-50 was unveiled 7 years after the ist DS2 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-50 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the SH-50 scores against the ist DS2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SH-50 & Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-50 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-50 has got physical measurements of 112mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-50 and Pentax ist DS2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the SH-50 against the ist DS2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SH-50 and ist DS2 is 88 and 68 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to imagine the gap in sensor sizes merely by checking out specs. The image underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-50 and ist DS2.

All in all, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SH-50 having a smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Olympus SH-50 will produce more detail having an extra 10MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs a little more aggressively. The younger SH-50 provides an edge in sensor innovation.