Olympus SH-2 vs Pentax K-S1

Below is a detailed assessment of the Olympus SH-2 and Pentax K-S1, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the SH-2 (16MP) and the K-S1 (20MP) is pretty well matched but the SH-2 (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The SH-2 was released 7 months later than the K-S1 so they are both of a similar age. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the SH-2 grades vs the K-S1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Pentax K-S1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

When you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SH-2 has exterior dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Pentax K-S1 has specifications of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SH-2 and Pentax K-S1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you select at that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the SH-2 against the K-S1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and K-S1 is 88 and 69 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to picture the gap between sensor measurements purely by checking a spec sheet. The visual below will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-2 and K-S1.

Clearly, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SH-2 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-S1 will resolve more detail as a result of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The newer SH-2 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.