Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax K-3 II

Let's look a little more in depth at the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-3 II, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The SP-590 UZ was introduced 7 years prior to the K-3 II and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a thorough comparison, below is a short highlight of how the SP-590 UZ matches up against the K-3 II with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Pentax K-3 II. The whole galleries are available at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-590 UZ enjoys external measurements of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 II has measurements of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-3 II in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select during that time. Underneath is the front view proportions comparison of the SP-590 UZ and the K-3 II.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the SP-590 UZ and K-3 II is 72 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to see the gap in sensor measurements just by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath will help offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-590 UZ and K-3 II.

Clearly, the 2 cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The SP-590 UZ using its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-3 II will produce more detail using its extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop pics far more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.