Olympus 1 vs Pentax K-30

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus 1 and Pentax K-30, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the 1 (12MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the 1 (1/1.7") and K-30 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 1 was introduced 14 months after the K-30 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a complete comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the 1 matches up vs the K-30 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1 and Pentax K-30. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus 1 Gallery and Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1 provides exterior dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") along with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Pentax K-30 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 1 and Pentax K-30 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the 1 and the K-30.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the 1 and K-30 is 79 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it is hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by looking at specs. The pic underneath will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the 1 and K-30.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The 1 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-30 will give you extra detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more modern 1 will have an edge in sensor innovation.