Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2
89 Imaging
37 Features
37 Overall
37
68 Imaging
44 Features
33 Overall
39
Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 25-500mm (F3.0-6.9) lens
- 226g - 106 x 69 x 40mm
- Introduced July 2011
(Full Review)
- 6MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 200 - 3200
- Pentax KAF Mount
- 605g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
- Introduced August 2005
Photography Glossary Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 Overview
Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-11 (14MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the SZ-11 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe SZ-11 was manufactured 6 years after the ist DS2 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-11 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SZ-11 matches up vs the ist DS2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-11 & Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-11 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus SZ-11 over the Pentax ist DS2
| SZ-11 | ist DS2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | July 2011 | August 2005 | More modern by 73 months | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.5") | |
| Display resolution | 460k | 210k | Sharper display (+250k dot) |
Reasons to pick Pentax ist DS2 over the Olympus SZ-11
| ist DS2 | SZ-11 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | Very exact focusing |
Common features in the Olympus SZ-11 and Pentax ist DS2
| SZ-11 | ist DS2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Lack of selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Lack of Touch friendly display |
Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to carry around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-11 comes with outside measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") and a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).
Check the Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the SZ-11 vs the ist DS2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-11 and ist DS2 is 89 and 68 respectively.
Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it can be tough to visualise the difference between sensor sizes merely by checking specs. The image here may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-11 and ist DS2.
As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ-11 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus SZ-11 will resolve extra detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop pics more aggressively. The more recent SZ-11 is going to have an edge in sensor innovation.
Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus SZ-11 vs Pentax ist DS2 Specifications
| Olympus SZ-11 | Pentax ist DS2 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus SZ-11 | Pentax ist DS2 |
| Category | Small Sensor Superzoom | Advanced DSLR |
| Introduced | 2011-07-27 | 2005-08-22 |
| Physical type | Compact | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor | TruePic III+ | - |
| Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.17 x 4.55mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 28.1mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 14 megapixels | 6 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
| Highest resolution | 4288 x 3216 | 3008 x 2008 |
| Highest native ISO | 1600 | 3200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 80 | 200 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection focus | ||
| Contract detection focus | ||
| Phase detection focus | ||
| Total focus points | - | 11 |
| Cross type focus points | - | - |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | fixed lens | Pentax KAF |
| Lens zoom range | 25-500mm (20.0x) | - |
| Maximum aperture | f/3.0-6.9 | - |
| Macro focusing distance | 1cm | - |
| Available lenses | - | 151 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.8 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Screen type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 2.5 inch |
| Resolution of screen | 460 thousand dots | 210 thousand dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Screen technology | TFT Color LCD | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 95% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.64x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/4000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting rate | 7.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | 9.30 m (@ ISO 1600) | - |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction |
| External flash | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) | - |
| Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | - |
| Video data format | Motion JPEG | - |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | No |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | None |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 226 grams (0.50 lbs) | 605 grams (1.33 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 106 x 69 x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") | 125 x 93 x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 200 photos | - |
| Battery type | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | LI-50B | 4 x AA |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/MMC card |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Launch price | $253 | - |