Olympus 1s vs Pentax ist DS2

Below is a extensive overview of the Olympus 1s and Pentax ist DS2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the 1s (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the 1s (1/1.7") and ist DS2 (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

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The 1s was revealed 9 years later than the ist DS2 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1s being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a full comparison, below is a short summation of how the 1s scores vs the ist DS2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1s & Pentax ist DS2. The full galleries are available at Olympus 1s Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you're going to lug around your camera often, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 1s provides 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) and the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus 1s and Pentax ist DS2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the 1s compared to the ist DS2.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the 1s and ist DS2 is 79 and 68 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualize the difference in sensor measurements purely by researching technical specs. The visual below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the 1s and ist DS2.

As you have seen, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The 1s having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Olympus 1s will result in greater detail because of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The newer 1s should have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.