Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax WG-1

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax WG-1, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Waterproof by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the SP-590 UZ (12MP) and the WG-1 (14MP) is fairly comparable and they possess the exact same sensor sizes (1/2.3").

Photography Glossary

The SP-590 UZ was unveiled 3 years earlier than the WG-1 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax WG-1 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight into a detailed comparison, below is a concise summation of how the SP-590 UZ grades against the WG-1 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SP-590 UZ and Pentax Optio WG-1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery and Pentax WG-1 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry your camera regularly, you will need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-590 UZ features physical dimensions of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs) while the Pentax WG-1 has sizing of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SP-590 UZ vs Pentax WG-1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the SP-590 UZ and the WG-1.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-590 UZ and WG-1 is 72 and 93 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very tough to imagine the gap in sensor sizing merely by going through specs. The graphic here might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-590 UZ and WG-1.

All in all, both of the cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different megapixels. You should anticipate the Pentax WG-1 to show more detail having an extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older SP-590 UZ will be behind in sensor technology.