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Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500

Portability
69
Imaging
35
Features
27
Overall
31
Olympus SP-600 UZ front
 
Pentax K-500 front
Portability
64
Imaging
58
Features
70
Overall
62

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs

Olympus SP-600 UZ
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-420mm (F3.5-5.4) lens
  • 455g - 110 x 90 x 91mm
  • Launched February 2010
  • Older Model is Olympus SP-590 UZ
  • Refreshed by Olympus SP-610UZ
Pentax K-500
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 51600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 646g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
  • Launched November 2013
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Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Overview

The following is a extended overview of the Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the image resolutions of the SP-600 UZ (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the SP-600 UZ (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

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The SP-600 UZ was manufactured 4 years prior to the K-500 which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-600 UZ being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a brief highlight of how the SP-600 UZ scores against the K-500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus SP-600 UZ over the Pentax K-500

 SP-600 UZ K-500 

Reasons to pick Pentax K-500 over the Olympus SP-600 UZ

 K-500 SP-600 UZ 
LaunchedNovember 2013February 2010Newer by 46 months
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution921k230kCrisper display (+691k dot)

Common features in the Olympus SP-600 UZ and Pentax K-500

 SP-600 UZ K-500 
Manual focus Dial exact focusing
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither provides selfie screen
Touch friendly display Missing Touch friendly display

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Physical Comparison

In case you're going to travel with your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-600 UZ provides physical measurements of 110mm x 90mm x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") accompanied by a weight of 455 grams (1.00 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-500 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Look at the Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the SP-600 UZ versus the K-500.

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-600 UZ and K-500 is 69 and 64 respectively.

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it's difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions only by viewing a spec sheet. The picture below will offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-600 UZ and K-500.

As you can see, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The SP-600 UZ because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-500 will result in more detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more aged SP-600 UZ will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 sensor size comparison

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus SP-600 UZ Portrait photography factors
Pentax K-500 Portrait photography factors
27
has manual focus
manual mode not possible
cannot use external flash
MP count low (12MP)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
74
focusing manually
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
includes face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus SP-600 UZ Street photography information
Pentax K-500 Street photography information
36
no articulating screen
no image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
68
image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
very good ISO range (51,600)
no articulating screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus SP-600 UZ as a Sports photography camera
Pentax K-500 as a Sports photography camera
31
amazing zoom range (28-420mm 15.0 x zoom)
provides tracking autofocus
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus
72
maximum shutter speed is high (1/6,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
includes tracking focus
better than average battery (710 per charge)
has phase detect autofocus
continuous shooting slow (6.0 fps)
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus SP-600 UZ
Travel photography with Pentax K-500
51
built-in flash
rather wide (28mm)
very long reach (420mm)
no Time Lapse recording
MP count low (12MP)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
67
better than average battery (710 CIPA)
sensor resolution is decent (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus SP-600 UZ
Landscape photography with Pentax K-500
29
has manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
can't change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
small screen (2.7")
manual mode not possible
no image stabilization
MP count low (12 megapixels)
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
no Time Lapse recording
79
focusing manually
change lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor resolution is decent (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
very good ISO range (51,600)
saves RAW formats
better than average battery (710 CIPA)
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus SP-600 UZ
Vlogging with Pentax K-500
20
rather wide (28mm)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
does not have a selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 pxls)
no external mic support
30
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
lack of mic port
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Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus SP-600 UZ and Pentax K-500
 Olympus SP-600 UZPentax K-500
General Information
Company Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus SP-600 UZ Pentax K-500
Type Small Sensor Superzoom Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2010-02-02 2013-11-27
Body design Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III PRIME M
Sensor type CCD CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.08 x 4.56mm 23.7 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 27.7mm² 372.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2
Maximum resolution 3968 x 2976 4928 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 1600 51600
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Total focus points 143 11
Cross type focus points - 9
Lens
Lens support fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens zoom range 28-420mm (15.0x) -
Largest aperture f/3.5-5.4 -
Macro focusing distance 1cm -
Total lenses - 151
Crop factor 5.9 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen sizing 2.7 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology - TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.61x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 1/2 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/6000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 10.0fps 6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 3.10 m 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync+Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash sync - 1/180 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1280 x 720 (24 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps)
Maximum video resolution 1280x720 1920x1080
Video format H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 455 gr (1.00 lb) 646 gr (1.42 lb)
Physical dimensions 110 x 90 x 91mm (4.3" x 3.5" x 3.6") 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating not tested 79
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.1
DXO Low light rating not tested 1087
Other
Battery life - 710 images
Type of battery - AA
Battery ID - 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (12 or 2 sec) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC, Internal SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots One One
Pricing at launch $189 $600