Olympus SZ-15 vs Pentax K20D

On this page, we are evaluating the Olympus SZ-15 and Pentax K20D, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the SZ-15 (16MP) and the K20D (15MP) is fairly close but the SZ-15 (1/2.3") and K20D (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-15 was manufactured 5 years later than the K20D and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SZ-15 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the SZ-15 scores versus the K20D in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-15 & Pentax K20D. The entire galleries are available at Olympus SZ-15 Gallery & Pentax K20D Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus SZ-15 has physical measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 250 grams (0.55 lbs) and the Pentax K20D has sizing of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-15 and Pentax K20D in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the SZ-15 against the K20D.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-15 and K20D is 88 and 59 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to see the difference in sensor sizing just by viewing specs. The visual below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-15 and K20D.

All in all, both of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SZ-15 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus SZ-15 will render more detail due to its extra 1MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The newer SZ-15 is going to have an edge with regard to sensor tech.