Olympus SH-2 vs Pentax ist DL2

Here, we are comparing the Olympus SH-2 and Pentax ist DL2, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the SH-2 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the SH-2 (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

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The SH-2 was announced 9 years after the ist DL2 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-2 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the SH-2 matches up vs the ist DL2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-2 & Pentax ist DL2. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SH-2 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus SH-2 offers physical measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") accompanied by a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Pentax ist DL2 has specifications of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SH-2 and Pentax ist DL2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the SH-2 compared to the ist DL2.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the SH-2 and ist DL2 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to picture the gap in sensor sizes only by seeing technical specs. The image below should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-2 and ist DL2.

As you can tell, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SH-2 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus SH-2 will produce extra detail with its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The newer SH-2 should have a benefit in sensor innovation.