Olympus SH-2 vs Pentax K-r

In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus SH-2 versus Pentax K-r, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap between the sensor resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and K-r (12MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and K-r (APS-C) use different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SH-2 was introduced 4 years after the K-r which is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-r being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the SH-2 grades versus the K-r when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-2 and Pentax K-r. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-2 Gallery and Pentax K-r Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-2 provides physical dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Pentax K-r has sizing of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") and a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

Check out the Olympus SH-2 versus Pentax K-r in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the SH-2 versus the K-r.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SH-2 and K-r is 88 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it can be tough to visualize the contrast between sensor sizes simply by reading a spec sheet. The pic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SH-2 and K-r.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SH-2 with its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus SH-2 will deliver more detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop pics a little more aggressively. The more modern SH-2 should have an advantage in sensor tech.