Olympus TG-820 iHS vs Pentax K-S1

Its time to look closer at the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Pentax K-S1, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the TG-820 iHS (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the TG-820 iHS (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizes.

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The TG-820 iHS was released 3 years before the K-S1 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus TG-820 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick overview of how the TG-820 iHS grades versus the K-S1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus TG-820 iHS & Pentax K-S1. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-820 iHS Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus TG-820 iHS offers outer dimensions of 101mm x 65mm x 26mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.0") accompanied by a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S1 has specifications of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus TG-820 iHS versus Pentax K-S1 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the TG-820 iHS versus the K-S1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-820 iHS and K-S1 is 92 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it's tough to visualize the gap in sensor sizing simply by going through technical specs. The visual underneath will give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-820 iHS and K-S1.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The TG-820 iHS featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting bokeh more difficult and the Pentax K-S1 will show more detail as a result of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs much more aggressively. The older TG-820 iHS will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.