Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Pentax K-S2

Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax K-S2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the K-S2 (20MP) is relatively well matched but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and K-S2 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-16 iHS was introduced 3 years before the K-S2 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S2 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a short summary of how the SZ-16 iHS scores against the K-S2 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Pentax K-S2. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Pentax K-S2 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera regularly, you'll need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS comes with outer measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") having a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax K-S2 has specifications of 123mm x 91mm x 73mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.9") having a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax K-S2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at the time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS versus the K-S2.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-16 iHS and K-S2 is 89 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by looking at technical specs. The image here should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and K-S2.

As you have seen, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SZ-16 iHS having a tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-S2 will give you greater detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more aged SZ-16 iHS is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.