Olympus VH-515 vs Pentax K20D

The following is a extended review of the Olympus VH-515 vs Pentax K20D, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the VH-515 (12MP) and the K20D (15MP) is relatively similar but the VH-515 (1/2.3") and K20D (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

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The VH-515 was released 4 years after the K20D which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VH-515 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the VH-515 scores versus the K20D for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VH-515 & Pentax K20D. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus VH-515 Gallery & Pentax K20D Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus VH-515 has got external measurements of 102mm x 60mm x 21mm (4.0" x 2.4" x 0.8") and a weight of 152 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Pentax K20D has sizing of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus VH-515 vs Pentax K20D in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the VH-515 and the K20D.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VH-515 and K20D is 95 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions merely by reading a spec sheet. The pic below will offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the VH-515 and K20D.

As you can see, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The VH-515 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K20D will offer more detail as a result of its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The more recent VH-515 will have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.