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Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500

Portability
96
Imaging
37
Features
24
Overall
31
Olympus VG-120 front
 
Pentax Optio RS1500 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
30
Overall
34

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Key Specs

Olympus VG-120
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 120g - 96 x 57 x 19mm
  • Launched January 2011
Pentax RS1500
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-110mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Introduced March 2011
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Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Overview

Below, we will be looking at the Olympus VG-120 and Pentax RS1500, former being a Ultracompact while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the VG-120 (14MP) and the RS1500 (14MP) is pretty well matched and they feature the exact same sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

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The VG-120 was brought out 2 months before the RS1500 which means that they are both of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax RS1500 being a Compact camera.

Before delving through a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick view of how the VG-120 grades versus the RS1500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus VG-120 over the Pentax RS1500

 VG-120 RS1500 
Screen dimension3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")

Reasons to pick Pentax RS1500 over the Olympus VG-120

 RS1500 VG-120 
Focus manually Very precise focusing

Common features in the Olympus VG-120 and Pentax RS1500

 VG-120 RS1500 
IntroducedJanuary 2011March 2011Similar age
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Screen resolution230k230kIdentical screen resolution
Selfie screen Neither includes selfie screen
Touch friendly screen No Touch friendly screen

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Physical Comparison

If you're planning to carry your camera frequently, you should take into account its weight and size. The Olympus VG-120 features external dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) and the Pentax RS1500 has specifications of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus VG-120 and Pentax RS1500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the VG-120 versus the RS1500.

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and RS1500 is 96 and 93 respectively.

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Sensor Comparison

Typically, its hard to see the contrast between sensor sizing simply by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-120 and RS1500.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the same MP therefore you can expect similar quality of files however you would want to consider the age of the products into consideration.

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 sensor size comparison

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus VG-120
Portrait photography with Pentax RS1500
33
megapixel count decent (14MP)
supports face detect focus
no manual focus
lack of manual mode
external flash not possible
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
35
you can focus manually
good resolution (14 megapixels)
no manual control
no external flash support
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Street photography factors
Pentax RS1500 Street photography factors
48
no moving screen
lack of image stabilization
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
54
weather proofing
fixed screen
lack of image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Sports photography features
Pentax RS1500 Sports photography features
26
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
no shutter priority
lack of image stabilization
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
low battery power (160 per charge)
has no phase detect auto focus
37
good resolution (14MP)
features tracking focus
weather proofing
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus VG-120 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax RS1500 as a Travel photography camera
62
megapixel count decent (14 megapixels)
has built in flash
rather wide (26mm)
does not have Time Lapse mode
low battery power (160 per charge)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
67
weather proofing
good resolution (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
fairly wide (28mm)
does not have Time Lapse recording
display isn't selfie friendly
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Landscape photography highlights
Pentax RS1500 Landscape photography highlights
36
rather wide (26mm)
decent sized screen (3")
megapixel count decent (14MP)
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
lack of manual mode
lack of image stabilization
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
low battery power (160 shots)
does not have Time Lapse mode
40
you can focus manually
fairly wide (28mm)
good resolution (14MP)
weather proofing
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is small (2.7 inches)
no manual control
lack of image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
does not have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus VG-120 Vlogging information
Pentax RS1500 Vlogging information
28
rather wide (26mm)
supports face detect focus
sluggish max aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have mic jack
25
fairly wide (28mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 pixels)
does not have mic socket
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Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax RS1500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus VG-120 and Pentax RS1500
 Olympus VG-120Pentax Optio RS1500
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus VG-120 Pentax Optio RS1500
Type Ultracompact Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2011-01-06 2011-03-16
Physical type Ultracompact Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic III -
Sensor type CCD CCD
Sensor size 1/2.3" 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 28.1mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 14MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 4288 x 3216 4288 x 3216
Maximum native ISO 1600 6400
Lowest native ISO 80 80
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect focus
Contract detect focus
Phase detect focus
Number of focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens focal range 26-130mm (5.0x) 28-110mm (3.9x)
Highest aperture f/2.8-6.5 f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus distance 7cm 1cm
Crop factor 5.8 5.8
Screen
Display type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of display 230 thousand dots 230 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Display technology TFT Color LCD TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None None
Features
Min shutter speed 4 seconds 4 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/1500 seconds
Continuous shutter rate - 1.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 4.40 m 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (30, 15fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15fps) 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1280x720
Video file format Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 120g (0.26 lbs) 157g (0.35 lbs)
Dimensions 96 x 57 x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth score not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range score not tested not tested
DXO Low light score not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 160 photos 260 photos
Type of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model LI-70B D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at release $190 $150