Olympus 8000 vs Pentax ist DS2

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus 8000 versus Pentax ist DS2, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the 8000 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the 8000 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) offer different sensor sizing.

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The 8000 was brought out 3 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus 8000 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summary of how the 8000 matches up against the ist DS2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 8000 Gallery and Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus 8000 comes with exterior measurements of 95mm x 62mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.4" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 182 grams (0.40 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Compare the Olympus 8000 versus Pentax ist DS2 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the 8000 versus the ist DS2.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the 8000 and ist DS2 is 94 and 68 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizing merely by looking at a spec sheet. The visual underneath might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the 8000 and ist DS2.

As you can see, each of the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The 8000 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus 8000 will give you extra detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The younger 8000 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.