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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Comparison

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Camera to replace
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Olympus E-M10 IV

20 MP | Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) CMOS Sensor

Olympus E-M10 IV
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Pentax K-S2

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

Pentax K-S2
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Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Olympus E-M10 IV, which was introduced in August 2020 is a Entry-Level Mirrorless camera with a 20.0MP Four Thirds sensor whereas Pentax K-S2, which was introduced in February 2015 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 20.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, K-S2 is 5 years older than E-M10 IV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2020-08-04
  • 20MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 200 - 25600 ( expands to 100 - 25600)
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • 2360k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 8.7fps (15.0fps Electronic) continuous shooting
  • 4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 383g. 122 x 84 x 49 mm
  • Replaced Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Compare

Pentax K-S2 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-02-10
  • 20MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.4fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 678g. 91 x 123 x 73 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Pentax K-S1 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**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 Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV over Pentax K-S2
Live Composite Mode
Yes vs No Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Number of Focus Points
121 vs 11 110 more focus points
LCD Resolution
1.040k dots vs 921k dots 12% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 5.4fps 9.6 fps faster
Weight
383 g vs 678 g 295 g lighter
Max Video Resolution
3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
Bluetooth
Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Focus Bracketing
Yes vs No Take multiple photos shifting focus point
UHS Card Support
UHS-II vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
CHECK E-M10 IV PRICE


Reasons to choose Pentax K-S2 over Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.64x vs 0.62x Larger Viewfinder
Max ISO
51.200 vs 25.600 100% higher Max ISO
Max Mech. Shutter
1/6000s vs 1/4000s faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life
410 shots vs 360 shots 50 more frames with a single charge
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 7.2m 4.8m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
18.37µm2 vs 11.22µm2 63% larger pixel area
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Anti Alias Filter Simulator
Yes vs No Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
CHECK K-S2 PRICE

Common Strengths of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2
Wireless Connection
Yes vs Yes Better connectivity
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fully Articulated Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 20 MP Bigger prints and more details
Max Continuous Shooting
15.0fps vs 5.4fps Fast shooting speeds
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Selfie/Vlogger Friendly LCD
Yes vs Yes Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs Yes Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Common Weaknesses of Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus E-M10 IV has external dimensions of 122 x 84 x 49 mm (4.8 x 3.31 x 1.93″) and weighs 383 g (0.84 lb / 13.51 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K-S2 has external dimensions of 91 x 123 x 73 mm (3.58 x 4.84 x 2.87″) and weighs 678 g (1.49 lb / 23.92 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2. Olympus E-M10 IV is 39mm shorter and 24mm thinner than Pentax K-S2 but it is also 31mm wider.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus E-M10 IV is significantly lighter (295g ) than the Pentax K-S2 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Pentax K-S2 has an APS-C sized sensor and Olympus E-M10 IV has a smaller Four Thirds sensor, Olympus E-M10 IV's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Pentax K-S2 lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-M10 IV
K-S2
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

E-M10 IV
K-S2
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of K-S2, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to E-M10 IV.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

Olympus E-M10 IV features a Tilting only screen which is mostly only good for shooting from waist or over the head levels. On the other hand, Pentax K-S2 sports a Fully Articulated screen which is more flexible and useful especially for taking Selfie shots and video.
Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2: Sensor Comparison

Both Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 have 20.0 MP resolution sensors but Olympus E-M10 IV's sensor is Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm ) and Pentax K-S2's sensor is APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ).

Since Pentax K-S2's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Olympus E-M10 IV.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Pentax K-S2'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 moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the E-M10 IV and K-S2 sensor size comparison.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax K-S2 has a 1.6x Larger sensor area than Olympus E-M10 IV. 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.

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2 Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Pentax K-S2 has an advantage over Olympus E-M10 IV There are 161 lenses for Pentax K-S2's Pentax KAF2 mount, on the other hand there are only 120 lenses for Olympus E-M10 IV's Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Both Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 has Sensor based Image stabilization which means that all the lenses will be stabilized in these bodies. E-M10 IV's built-in Image stabilization system is effective to compensate vibration up to 4.5-stops according to CIPA standards.

Lens Type # of Olympus E-M10 IV Lenses # of Pentax K-S2 Lenses
Standard Zoom 18 23
Standard Prime 15 23
Wideangle Zoom 6 12
Wideangle Prime 32 26
Telephoto Zoom 19 21
Telephoto Prime 11 15
SuperZoom 8 15
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 5 3
Macro Prime 4 14
Perspective Control Prime n/a 8
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 120 161


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II Lens OM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II
24 - 80mm 382gr 765gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED Lens Pentax smc 16-50mm F2.8 ED
24 - 75mm 565gr 1243gr 99mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0 Lens Olympus ED 35-100mm f2.0
70 - 200mm 1650gr 2033gr 214mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED Lens Pentax DA 50-135mm F2.8 ED
75 - 202.5mm 685gr 1363gr 136mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus M 25mm F1.8 Lens Olympus M 25mm F1.8
50mm 136gr 519gr 41mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L Lens Pentax FA 31mm F1.8 L
31mm 345gr 1023gr 69mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO Lens Olympus ED 7-14mm F2.8 PRO
14 - 28mm 534gr 917gr 106mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL Lens Pentax 12-24mm F4.0 ED AL
18 - 36mm 430gr 1108gr 84mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD Lens Olympus ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 SWD
24 - 120mm 575gr 958gr 99mm Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM Lens Pentax 17-70mm F4.0 AL SDM
25.5 - 105mm 485gr 1163gr 94mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS Lens Olympus 150-400mm F4.5 TC 1.25x IS
300 - 800mm 1850gr 2233gr 314mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM Lens Sigma 120-400mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM
120 - 400mm 1640gr 2318gr 203mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 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.

Olympus E-M10 IV for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-S2 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
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

Olympus E-M10 IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Pentax K-S2 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
Large Body
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Sports Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-S2 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.7fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
121 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.4fps
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-S2 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Medium size Body
383g
Body Thickness 49mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
678g
Body Thickness 73mm
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-S2 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Large Four Thirds (17.4 x 13 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Live-view
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Olympus E-M10 IV vs Pentax K-S2: 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 Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2, 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 Olympus E-M10 IV and Pentax K-S2 scores compare:

Olympus E-M10 IV
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #77 out of 109 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #139 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Pentax K-S2
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #1 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #101 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Pentax K-S2 scores higher than the Olympus E-M10 IV in Overall. It has better image quality and better value than Olympus E-M10 IV. On the other hand, Olympus E-M10 IV is more portable and has more features than Pentax K-S2.
If image quality is very important for you and you want to get the most bang for your bucks, choose the Pentax K-S2.
If you are looking for a small camera where you can take everywhere with you, and having more features are also important, Olympus E-M10 IV is the right choice for you.

Olympus E-M10 IV
Olympus E-M10 IV
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Pentax K-S2
Pentax K-S2
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Pentax K-S2 vs Olympus E-M10 IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV Pentax K-S2
Brand Olympus Pentax
Announced 2020-08-04 2015-02-10
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size Four Thirds APS-C
Dimensions 17.4 x 13 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 226.20mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 20 megapixels
Max Resolution 5184 x 3888 5472 x 3648
Max Native Light sensitivity 25,600 ISO 51,200 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 200 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 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 121 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Number of Available Lenses 120 161
Screen
Type Tilting Fully Articulated
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 1,040k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 2,360k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.62x 0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/4000s 1/6000s
Max Electronic Shutter 1/16000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 7.20 m (at ISO 200) 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync 1/250s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 8.7 fps 5.4 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 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 383g 678g
Dimensions 122 x 84 x 49mm 91 x 123 x 73mm
Battery Life 360 shots 410 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
Report a correction Report a correction


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