Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax K-S1

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-S1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizing.

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The SP-590 UZ was unveiled 6 years before the K-S1 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SP-590 UZ matches up versus the K-S1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Pentax K-S1. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

If you are planning to carry your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-590 UZ comes with exterior measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") and a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S1 has sizing of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-S1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the SP-590 UZ and the K-S1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and K-S1 is 72 and 69 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to see the gap in sensor sizing just by going through specifications. The photograph below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-590 UZ and K-S1.

Plainly, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SP-590 UZ with its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh more challenging and the Pentax K-S1 will provide extra detail having an extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be behind with regard to sensor innovation.