Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax K-01

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Pentax K-01, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and K-01 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The SP-590 UZ was released 4 years prior to the K-01 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a concise overview of how the SP-590 UZ grades vs the K-01 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Pentax K-01. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-590 UZ comes with physical dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") and a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Pentax K-01 has dimensions of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") and a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SP-590 UZ versus Pentax K-01 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose during that time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the K-01.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SP-590 UZ and K-01 is 72 and 76 respectively.

More often than not, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizing merely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual here will help offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-590 UZ and K-01.

Clearly, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The SP-590 UZ due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-01 will produce extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.