Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax K-30

In this write-up, we are analyzing the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-30, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference between the image resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) come with different sensor dimensions.

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The SP-590 UZ was brought out 4 years earlier than the K-30 which is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving in to a full comparison, below is a quick overview of how the SP-590 UZ scores vs the K-30 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SP-590 UZ & Pentax K-30. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For anyone who is looking to carry around your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-590 UZ provides outer dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") with a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-30 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

See the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-30 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the SP-590 UZ against the K-30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and K-30 is 72 and 63 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to picture the gap between sensor sizes only by looking at a spec sheet. The image here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and K-30.

Clearly, both cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The SP-590 UZ because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-30 will resolve more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The more aged SP-590 UZ is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.