Olympus XZ-1 vs Pentax K-7

Below is a comprehensive overview of the Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax K-7, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and K-7 (15MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and K-7 (APS-C) use different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The XZ-1 was launched 17 months later than the K-7 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summary of how the XZ-1 scores versus the K-7 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 & Pentax K-7. The complete galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Pentax K-7 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 comes with outside measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) while the Pentax K-7 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax K-7 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are using at the time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the XZ-1 and the K-7.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the XZ-1 and K-7 is 88 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements merely by reviewing specifications. The graphic below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the XZ-1 and K-7.

To sum up, each of these cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting bokeh more difficult and the Pentax K-7 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images far more aggressively. The fresher XZ-1 provides an edge in sensor tech.