Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax P70

The following is a detailed analysis of the Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax P70, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Ultracompact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and P70 (12MP) but both cameras have the identical sensor measurements (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SP-100 was unveiled 4 years after the P70 which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SP-100 grades against the P70 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Pentax Optio P70. The full galleries are available at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Pentax P70 Gallery.

For those who are intending to travel with your camera, you'll need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-100 features outside measurements of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") along with a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) and the Pentax P70 has sizing of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax P70 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the SP-100 compared to the P70.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the SP-100 and P70 is 63 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it is very hard to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by looking through specs. The pic below should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the SP-100 and P70.

All in all, the 2 cameras come with the identical sensor size albeit different megapixels. You can expect the Olympus SP-100 to provide you with more detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The newer SP-100 provides an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.