Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Pentax ist DS2

The following is a extensive overview of the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax ist DS2, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-16 iHS was launched 7 years after the ist DS2 which is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick view of how the SZ-16 iHS grades versus the ist DS2 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax ist DS2. The complete galleries are available at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera, you will need to consider 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") along with a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) while the Pentax ist DS2 has specifications of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

See the Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax ist DS2 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view dimension comparison of the SZ-16 iHS compared to the ist DS2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SZ-16 iHS and ist DS2 is 89 and 68 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions just by looking at technical specs. The picture here may provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SZ-16 iHS and ist DS2.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SZ-16 iHS because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus SZ-16 iHS will give greater detail utilizing its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs much more aggressively. The fresher SZ-16 iHS should have an advantage in sensor technology.