Olympus XZ-1 vs Pentax K-S2

The following is a extended comparison of the Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax K-S2, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and K-S2 (20MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and K-S2 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The XZ-1 was revealed 5 years prior to the K-S2 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-S2 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a in-depth comparison, below is a simple summation of how the XZ-1 scores versus the K-S2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax K-S2. The full galleries are provided at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery and Pentax K-S2 Gallery.

If you're intending to travel with your camera, you will need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 provides outside dimensions of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Pentax K-S2 has dimensions of 123mm x 91mm x 73mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.9") with a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).

Look at the Olympus XZ-1 and Pentax K-S2 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. The following is the front view dimension comparison of the XZ-1 against the K-S2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the XZ-1 and K-S2 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by checking a spec sheet. The image underneath will help give you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the XZ-1 and K-S2.

Clearly, the two cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The XZ-1 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-S2 will give you greater detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged XZ-1 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.