Olympus SP-820UZ vs Pentax ist DL2

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus SP-820UZ 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 between the resolutions of the SP-820UZ (14MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the SP-820UZ (1/2.3") and ist DL2 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SP-820UZ was revealed 6 years after the ist DL2 which is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-820UZ being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the SP-820UZ grades vs the ist DL2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ & Pentax ist DL2. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-820UZ Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to travel with your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus SP-820UZ provides external dimensions of 117mm x 78mm x 93mm (4.6" x 3.1" x 3.7") along with a weight of 485 grams (1.07 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DL2 has specifications of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SP-820UZ and Pentax ist DL2 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the SP-820UZ vs the ist DL2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the SP-820UZ and ist DL2 is 69 and 69 respectively.

Usually, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions purely by reading through specifications. The pic underneath will provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-820UZ and ist DL2.

Plainly, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The SP-820UZ with its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus SP-820UZ will resolve extra detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more modern SP-820UZ will have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.