Olympus 1s vs Pentax RS1500

On this page, we are reviewing the Olympus 1s versus Pentax RS1500, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the 1s (12MP) and the RS1500 (14MP) is fairly close but the 1s (1/1.7") and RS1500 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The 1s was announced 4 years later than the RS1500 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the 1s matches up versus the RS1500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus 1s and Pentax Optio RS1500. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus 1s Gallery and Pentax RS1500 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1s has got outside measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") and a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Pentax RS1500 has dimensions of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 1s versus Pentax RS1500 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the 1s vs the RS1500.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the 1s and RS1500 is 79 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, its difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing a spec sheet. The graphic here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the 1s and RS1500.

As you can see, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The 1s having a larger sensor will make shooting shallower DOF less difficult and the Pentax RS1500 will render extra detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The younger 1s will have an edge in sensor technology.