Olympus VH-515 vs Pentax K-S1

Below, we will be reviewing the Olympus VH-515 vs Pentax K-S1, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the VH-515 (12MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the VH-515 (1/2.3") and K-S1 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor sizes.

Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

The VH-515 was revealed 24 months earlier than the K-S1 which makes the cameras a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the VH-515 scores vs the K-S1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus VH-515 & Pentax K-S1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera, you will need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus VH-515 has outside dimensions of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") and a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Pentax K-S1 has proportions of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VH-515 vs Pentax K-S1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. Underneath is the front view size comparison of the VH-515 against the K-S1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VH-515 and K-S1 is 95 and 69 respectively.

Typically, its difficult to picture the contrast in sensor sizes only by viewing specs. The image below may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the VH-515 and K-S1.

As you can plainly see, the 2 cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The VH-515 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-S1 will provide you with more detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged VH-515 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.