CameraDecision
  • CAMERAS
    • All Cameras
    • Cameras by Brand
      • Sony Cameras
      • Canon Cameras
      • Nikon Cameras
      • Pentax Cameras
      • Fujifilm Cameras
      • Olympus Cameras
      • OM-System Cameras
      • Panasonic Cameras
      • Leica Cameras
    • Cameras by Body Type
      • Mirrorless Cameras
      • DSLR Cameras
      • Compact Cameras
      • Bridge Cameras
      • Waterproof Cameras
    • Cameras by Lens Mount
      • Sony E Mount Cameras
      • Canon RF Mount Cameras
      • Nikon Z Mount Cameras
      • Micro Four Thirds Mount Cameras
      • Fujifilm X Mount Cameras
      • Leica L Mount Cameras
      • Nikon F Mount Cameras
      • Canon EF Mount Cameras
      • Canon EF M Mount Cameras
      • Canon EF S Mount Cameras
      • Pentax KAF Mount Cameras
      • Sony Alpha Mount Cameras
      • Fujifilm G Mount Cameras
      • Sigma SA Mount Cameras
      • Nikon 1 Mount Cameras
  • LENSES
    • All Lenses
    • Lenses by Mount
      • Sony E Mount Lenses
      • Canon RF Mount Lenses
      • Nikon Z Mount Lenses
      • Canon EF Mount Lenses
      • Canon EF M Mount Lenses
      • Canon EF S Mount Lenses
      • Nikon F Mount Lenses
      • Fujifilm X Mount Lenses
      • Micro Four Thirds Mount Lenses
      • Leica L Mount Lenses
      • Pentax KAF Mount Lenses
      • Fujifilm G Mount Lenses
      • Sigma SA Mount Lenses
      • Sony Alpha Mount Lenses
    • Teleconverters
    • Cinema Lenses
      • Sony E Mount Cine Lenses
      • Canon RF Mount Cine Lenses
      • Nikon Z Mount Cine Lenses
      • Canon EF Mount Cine Lenses
      • Nikon F Mount Cine Lenses
      • ARRI PL Mount Cine Lenses
      • Fujifilm X Mount Cine Lenses
      • Micro Four Thirds Mount Cine Lenses
      • Leica L Mount Cine Lenses
  • TOOLS
    • Cameras
      • Smart Find
      • 1-on-1 Comparison
    • Lenses
      • Smart Find
      • 1-on-1 Comparison
  • BLOG

Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1 Comparison

x
Camera to replace
Change

Fujifilm S9800

16 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CMOS Sensor

Fujifilm S9800
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Change

Pentax K-S1

20 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-S1
CHECK PRICE
CHECK PRICE
Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Fujifilm S9800, which was introduced in January 2015 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 16.0MP 1/2.3" sensor whereas Pentax K-S1, which was introduced in August 2014 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. There is only 5 months difference between S9800 and K-S1 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Fujifilm S9800 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-01-14
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • 24-1200 mm F2.9-6.5 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • 920k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 670g. 123 x 87 x 116 mm

Pentax K-S1 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-08-27
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 558g. 121 x 93 x 70 mm

Pentax K-S1 was replaced by Pentax K-S2. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K-S2 vs Pentax K-S1
Pentax K-S2 vs Fujifilm S9800

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


Related Blog Posts

Top 10 Lightest Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras in 2023
The Most Rented Compact Cameras in 2022
DPReview to Close
Daily Deals: Sirui Anamorphic Lens, Apple MacBook Air and more
100-400mm Lens Size Comparison: Leica vs Sony vs Canon vs Nikon
Sirui 24mm f2.8 Super35 Anamorphic 1.33x Lens %50 Off
Best Selling Lenses in Micro Four Thirds, Fujifilm X and Canon EF Mounts in 2023
Daily Deals: Sigma 12-24mm Lens, SmallRig Cage, LED Lights and more


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Fujifilm S9800 over Pentax K-S1
Internal Storage
38MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
CHECK S9800 PRICE


Reasons to choose Pentax K-S1 over Fujifilm S9800
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Sensor Resolution
20 MP vs 16 MP 25% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 12.800 300% higher Max ISO
LCD Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Viewfinder Coverage
100% vs 97% More accurate viewfinder
Max Mech. Shutter
1/6000s vs 1/1700s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
410 shots vs 300 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Weight
558 g vs 670 g 112 g lighter
Flash Coverage
10.0m vs 7.0m 3m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
18.37µm2 vs 1.76µm2 943% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing Range
±3 EV vs ±2 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
Illuminated Buttons
Yes vs No Find the buttons easily in dark
CHECK K-S1 PRICE

Common Strengths of Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Common Weaknesses of Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Fujifilm S9800 has external dimensions of 123 x 87 x 116 mm (4.84 x 3.43 x 4.57″) and weighs 670 g (1.48 lb / 23.63 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K-S1 has external dimensions of 121 x 93 x 70 mm (4.76 x 3.66 x 2.76″) and weighs 558 g (1.23 lb / 19.68 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Fujifilm S9800 and the Pentax K-S1. Pentax K-S1 is 2mm narrower and 46mm thinner than Fujifilm S9800 but it is also 6mm taller. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Fujifilm S9800 has a built-in lens but Pentax K-S1 doesn't. Once you put a lens on K-S1, its thickness will increase significantly.

Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Fujifilm S9800 and the Pentax K-S1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1.

Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Fujifilm S9800 and the Pentax K-S1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1.
Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Fujifilm S9800 and the the Pentax K-S1 Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax K-S1 is significantly lighter (112g ) than the Fujifilm S9800 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on K-S1, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither the Fujifilm S9800 nor Pentax K-S1 provides any type of weather sealing in their bodies, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1's LCD screens have the same diagonal size of 3.00 inches.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.


Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1: Sensor Comparison

Fujifilm S9800 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . On the other hand, Pentax K-S1 has a 20.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime MII processor.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Pentax K-S1's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the S9800 and K-S1 sensor size comparison.

Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax K-S1 has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Fujifilm S9800. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Fujifilm S9800 for Portrait Photography

POOR

Pentax K-S1 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Fujifilm S9800 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-S1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Fujifilm S9800 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-S1 for Sports Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
1200 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1700s
Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.50
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Fujifilm S9800 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-S1 for Daily Photography

GOOD
50.0X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
670g
Body Thickness 116mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Large Body
558g
Body Thickness 70mm
Read the details

Fujifilm S9800 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax K-S1 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Fujifilm S9800 vs Pentax K-S1: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Fujifilm S9800 and Pentax K-S1 scores compare:

Fujifilm S9800
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #82 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #726 out of 1260 in all Cameras
Pentax K-S1
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #40 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #239 out of 1260 in all Cameras

Pentax K-S1 has a higher Overall Score than the Fujifilm S9800 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Fujifilm S9800
Fujifilm S9800
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax K-S1
Pentax K-S1
CHECK PRICE

CHECK PRICE

Pentax K-S1 vs Fujifilm S9800 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Fujifilm S9800 Pentax K-S1
Brand Fujifilm Pentax
Announced 2015-01-14 2014-08-27
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3" APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 28.07mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 16 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 12,800 ISO 51,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points n/a 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens Focal Range 24-1200 mm (50×) no lens
Max Aperture F2.9-6.5 no lens
Macro Focus Range 7cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 460k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 920k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 97% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1700s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.00 m (with Auto ISO) 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats H.264 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 670g 558g
Dimensions 123 x 87 x 116mm 121 x 93 x 70mm
Battery Life 300 shots 410 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 78
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.5
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.0
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1061
Report a correction Report a correction


FOLLOW US


Most Popular Cameras
Sony A7 IV
33 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Sony A7R IV
61 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Canon R3
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Canon M50 II
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Canon EF-M Mount
Nikon Z9
46 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Fujifilm X-T30 II
26 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Fujifilm GFX 100
102 MP | Medium format Sensor | Fujifilm G Mount
Nikon Z5
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Nikon Z Mount
Latest Cameras
Sony ZV-E1
12 MP | Full frame Sensor | Sony E Mount
Canon R50
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Canon R8
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Panasonic S5 II X
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Panasonic S5 II
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Leica L Mount
Pentax KF
24 MP | APS-C Sensor | Pentax KAF2 Mount
Fujifilm X-T5
40 MP | APS-C Sensor | Fujifilm X Mount
Canon R6 II
24 MP | Full frame Sensor | Canon RF Mount
Copyright © 2023 by CameraDecision
Privacy About Contact Us SpeakerDecision

Report a Correction