Olympus 9000 vs Pentax K-S1

The following is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus 9000 and Pentax K-S1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the 9000 (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the 9000 (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The 9000 was manufactured 6 years prior to the K-S1 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 9000 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the 9000 scores against the K-S1 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 9000 & Pentax K-S1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus 9000 Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

For those who are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus 9000 comes with outer measurements of 96mm x 60mm x 31mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.2") along with a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S1 has measurements of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Check out the Olympus 9000 and Pentax K-S1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that time. Below is the front view proportions comparison of the 9000 and the K-S1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the 9000 and K-S1 is 92 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, its tough to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions simply by checking specs. The picture underneath might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the 9000 and K-S1.

All in all, both the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The 9000 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax K-S1 will give you extra detail due to its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The more aged 9000 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.