Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax Q-S1

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax Q-S1, one being a Ultracompact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the VG-120 (14MP) and the Q-S1 (12MP) is very similar but the VG-120 (1/2.3") and Q-S1 (1/1.7") provide totally different sensor size.

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The VG-120 was unveiled 4 years before the Q-S1 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax Q-S1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the VG-120 grades versus the Q-S1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-120 and Pentax Q-S1. The full galleries are available at Olympus VG-120 Gallery and Pentax Q-S1 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VG-120 comes with external measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Pentax Q-S1 has specifications of 105mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 203 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check the Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax Q-S1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that moment. Here is a front view proportions comparison of the VG-120 vs the Q-S1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VG-120 and Q-S1 is 96 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it's tough to see the gap between sensor sizing merely by going over specs. The photograph below may offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-120 and Q-S1.

As you can plainly see, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The VG-120 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus VG-120 will offer greater detail having an extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The older VG-120 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.