Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax E90

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus SP-100 and Pentax E90, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the sensor resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and E90 (10MP) but both cameras have the same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SP-100 was introduced 4 years later than the E90 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a quick overview of how the SP-100 matches up vs the E90 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Pentax Optio E90. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Pentax E90 Gallery.

When you are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-100 enjoys outer dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") having a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) and the Pentax E90 has measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") having a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-100 and Pentax E90 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the SP-100 and the E90.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the SP-100 and E90 is 63 and 94 respectively.

More often than not, it can be hard to imagine the gap between sensor measurements only by reading a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-100 and E90.

Clearly, both of the cameras provide the same sensor dimensions albeit different megapixels. You can expect the Olympus SP-100 to offer you more detail using its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures more aggressively. The younger SP-100 should have an advantage in sensor innovation.