Olympus 1s vs Pentax RZ18

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus 1s vs Pentax RZ18, both Small Sensor Superzoom digital cameras by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and RZ18 (16MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and RZ18 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The 1s was introduced 3 years after the RZ18 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax RZ18 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the 1s matches up against the RZ18 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1s and Pentax Optio RZ18. The whole galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery and Pentax RZ18 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus 1s offers outside dimensions of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) whilst the Pentax RZ18 has sizing of 97mm x 61mm x 33mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 178 grams (0.39 lbs).

Examine the Olympus 1s vs Pentax RZ18 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you use at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the 1s and the RZ18.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the 1s and RZ18 is 79 and 92 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reading a spec sheet. The image underneath will give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the 1s and RZ18.

As you can see, both the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The 1s with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Pentax RZ18 will offer more detail using its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The fresher 1s should have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.