Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500
69 Imaging
34 Features
27 Overall
31
64 Imaging
57 Features
70 Overall
62
Olympus SP-600 UZ vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs
(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
(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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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.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe 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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This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SP-600 UZ & Pentax K-500. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-600 UZ Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | November 2013 | February 2010 | Newer by 46 months | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
| Display resolution | 921k | 230k | Crisper 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 type | Fixed | 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.
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.

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