Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Pentax ist DL2

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Pentax ist DL2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-16 iHS was launched 7 years after the ist DL2 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting right into a complete comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the ist DL2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-16 iHS & Pentax ist DL2. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera, you need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS has physical dimensions of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Pentax ist DL2 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the SZ-16 iHS and the ist DL2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and ist DL2 is 89 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizes merely by seeing specs. The picture below might provide you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SZ-16 iHS and ist DL2.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SZ-16 iHS due to its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will show extra detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos way more aggressively. The younger SZ-16 iHS provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.