Olympus SZ-12 vs Pentax K-01

On this page, we will be matching up the Olympus SZ-12 versus Pentax K-01, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the SZ-12 (14MP) and the K-01 (16MP) is pretty well matched but the SZ-12 (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-12 was brought out 4 months earlier than the K-01 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-12 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SZ-12 grades versus the K-01 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus SZ-12 & Pentax K-01. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-12 Gallery & Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-12 offers outside dimensions of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax K-01 has specifications of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") having a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-12 versus Pentax K-01 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the SZ-12 compared to the K-01.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-12 and K-01 is 89 and 76 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements simply by reading through technical specs. The photograph below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the SZ-12 and K-01.

As you have seen, both of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-12 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF tougher and the Pentax K-01 will give extra detail having its extra 2MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively.