Olympus 1s vs Pentax K-3 II

Following is a in-depth review of the Olympus 1s and Pentax K-3 II, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the sensor resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and K-3 II (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was launched within a month of the K-3 II which means that they are of a similar generation. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a in-depth comparison, here is a short view of how the 1s matches up vs the K-3 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus 1s and Pentax K-3 II. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus 1s Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus 1s has external measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") having a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus 1s and Pentax K-3 II in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the 1s and the K-3 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 1s and K-3 II is 79 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, it's hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes simply by going over a spec sheet. The pic underneath may give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the 1s and K-3 II.

As you can see, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The 1s featuring a tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax K-3 II will offer you more detail utilizing its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively.