Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax K10D

Let's examine more in depth at the Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax K10D, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the SZ-11 (14MP) and K10D (10MP) and the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and K10D (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-11 was manufactured 4 years after the K10D which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the SZ-11 matches up versus the K10D with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax K10D. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery and Pentax K10D Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-11 provides physical dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Pentax K10D has specifications of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Check the Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax K10D in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view physical size comparison of the SZ-11 versus the K10D.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-11 and K10D is 89 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to imagine the contrast in sensor sizes merely by looking through a spec sheet. The image below will give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-11 and K10D.

As you can see, both of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-11 due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Olympus SZ-11 will provide you with extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively. The younger SZ-11 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.