Olympus 1s vs Pentax E85

In this article, we are reviewing the Olympus 1s and Pentax E85, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the 1s (12MP) and the E85 (12MP) is fairly close but the 1s (1/1.7") and E85 (1/2.3") use different sensor dimensions.

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The 1s was released 5 years later than the E85 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before diving through a in-depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the 1s scores versus the E85 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 1s & Pentax Optio E85. The complete galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera, you have to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus 1s has physical 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 E85 has sizing of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") along with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 1s and Pentax E85 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the 1s compared to the E85.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 1s and E85 is 79 and 95 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing only by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1s and E85.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy the same exact megapixels but different sensor sizing. The 1s uses the larger sensor which will make getting shallower DOF less difficult. The fresher 1s should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.