Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax K-5

Below is a extensive overview of the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-5, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the sensor resolutions of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The SP-590 UZ was unveiled 23 months before the K-5 making them a generation apart from one another. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the SP-590 UZ grades vs the K-5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-5. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

In case you're planning to lug around your camera regularly, you need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SP-590 UZ provides physical dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") having a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax K-5 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the SP-590 UZ compared to the K-5.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SP-590 UZ and K-5 is 72 and 60 respectively.

Quite often, it is tough to visualize the gap in sensor measurements merely by researching specs. The visual below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and K-5.

All in all, both the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The SP-590 UZ with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-5 will result in greater detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.