Olympus SZ-10 vs Pentax ist DS2

On this page, we will be comparing the Olympus SZ-10 vs Pentax ist DS2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the SZ-10 (14MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the SZ-10 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

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The SZ-10 was unveiled 5 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a concise view of how the SZ-10 grades versus the ist DS2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-10 & Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-10 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-10 provides external dimensions of 106mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.2" x 2.6" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 215 grams (0.47 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-10 vs Pentax ist DS2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you use during that time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the SZ-10 and the ist DS2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-10 and ist DS2 is 90 and 68 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to picture the contrast between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The photograph underneath may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-10 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-10 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Olympus SZ-10 will give you more detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent SZ-10 provides an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.