Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Pentax K-01

Below is a complete analysis of the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax K-01, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the K-01 (16MP) is very well matched but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The SZ-16 iHS was revealed 8 months later than the K-01 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a short highlight of how the SZ-16 iHS scores vs the K-01 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Pentax K-01. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to lug around your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS provides exterior measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-01 has dimensions of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") and a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax K-01 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view scale comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the K-01.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-16 iHS and K-01 is 89 and 76 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements purely by reading through specs. The graphic below may offer you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and K-01.

All in all, both the cameras have got the exact same megapixels but different sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS features the tinier sensor which should make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging. The more recent SZ-16 iHS should have an edge in sensor tech.