Olympus XZ-10 vs Pentax K-1

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus XZ-10 vs Pentax K-1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-10 (12MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the XZ-10 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-10 was brought out 4 years prior to the K-1 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus XZ-10 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the XZ-10 scores against the K-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus XZ-10 & Pentax K-1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-10 Gallery & Pentax K-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus XZ-10 features exterior dimensions of 102mm x 61mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-1 has proportions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") with a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-10 vs Pentax K-1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the XZ-10 compared to the K-1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-10 and K-1 is 91 and 55 respectively.

Often, it is very hard to visualise the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through a spec sheet. The visual below may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-10 and K-1.

Clearly, the 2 cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The XZ-10 due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF tougher and the Pentax K-1 will give more detail having its extra 24 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older XZ-10 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.