Olympus SH-1 vs Pentax Q-S1

Let's look a bit more closely at the Olympus SH-1 versus Pentax Q-S1, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the resolutions of the SH-1 (16MP) and Q-S1 (12MP) and the SH-1 (1/2.3") and Q-S1 (1/1.7") posses different sensor measurements.

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The SH-1 was announced 4 months prior to the Q-S1 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the SH-1 scores against the Q-S1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-1 and Pentax Q-S1. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-1 Gallery and Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera regularly, you will need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SH-1 has got exterior dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Pentax Q-S1 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-1 versus Pentax Q-S1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the SH-1 against the Q-S1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-1 and Q-S1 is 88 and 92 respectively.

Usually, its difficult to picture the contrast between sensor sizes only by looking at technical specs. The image here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-1 and Q-S1.

As you have seen, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SH-1 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Olympus SH-1 will give you greater detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively.