Olympus 1s vs Pentax P70

Let's take a more detailed look at the Olympus 1s and Pentax P70, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the 1s (12MP) and the P70 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the 1s (1/1.7") and P70 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The 1s was unveiled 6 years later than the P70 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting into a full comparison, here is a quick view of how the 1s scores versus the P70 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1s & Pentax Optio P70. The full galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery & Pentax P70 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus 1s has external dimensions 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 P70 has measurements of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 1s and Pentax P70 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the 1s vs the P70.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the 1s and P70 is 79 and 95 respectively.

Often, it is difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing simply by checking out a spec sheet. The photograph below will provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the 1s and P70.

Clearly, the two cameras provide the same resolution albeit not the same sensor sizing. The 1s features the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler. The fresher 1s will have an edge with regard to sensor tech.