Olympus VR-330 vs Pentax ist DS2

Let's look more closely at the Olympus VR-330 vs Pentax ist DS2, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference between the image resolutions of the VR-330 (14MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the VR-330 (1/2.3") and ist DS2 (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

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The VR-330 was manufactured 5 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus VR-330 being a Compact camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the VR-330 scores against the ist DS2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VR-330 & Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-330 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus VR-330 has got outside measurements of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has sizing of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VR-330 vs Pentax ist DS2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you choose at the time. Following is a front view size comparison of the VR-330 and the ist DS2.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the VR-330 and ist DS2 is 94 and 68 respectively.

Often, it can be hard to picture the gap between sensor measurements only by reading through technical specs. The photograph here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the VR-330 and ist DS2.

As you can tell, both of those cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The VR-330 due to its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus VR-330 will resolve greater detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The newer VR-330 provides an advantage in sensor tech.