Olympus SZ-30MR vs Pentax K-S1

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Pentax K-S1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the SZ-30MR (16MP) and the K-S1 (20MP) is fairly comparable but the SZ-30MR (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SZ-30MR was manufactured 4 years prior to the K-S1 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-30MR being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the SZ-30MR scores vs the K-S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SZ-30MR & Pentax K-S1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SZ-30MR Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

If you're planning to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SZ-30MR provides physical measurements of 106mm x 69mm x 40mm (4.2" x 2.7" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) and the Pentax K-S1 has proportions of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SZ-30MR vs Pentax K-S1 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the SZ-30MR compared to the K-S1.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SZ-30MR and K-S1 is 89 and 69 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to see the contrast in sensor measurements purely by going through technical specs. The photograph below might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-30MR and K-S1.

As you have seen, both of those cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The SZ-30MR because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-S1 will show greater detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The older SZ-30MR will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.