Olympus SP-610UZ vs Pentax K-5

The following is a comprehensive assessment of the Olympus SP-610UZ and Pentax K-5, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the SP-610UZ (14MP) and the K-5 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the SP-610UZ (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) provide different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The SP-610UZ was launched within a month of the K-5 which means that they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SP-610UZ being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving into a more detailed comparison, here is a short highlight of how the SP-610UZ scores vs the K-5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus SP-610UZ and Pentax K-5. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus SP-610UZ Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera often, you'll have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus SP-610UZ offers outside dimensions of 107mm x 73mm x 73mm (4.2" x 2.9" x 2.9") along with a weight of 405 grams (0.89 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Check the Olympus SP-610UZ and Pentax K-5 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view dimension comparison of the SP-610UZ vs the K-5.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-610UZ and K-5 is 79 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's difficult to visualize the contrast between sensor dimensions just by checking a spec sheet. The image below might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-610UZ and K-5.

Clearly, both of those cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The SP-610UZ because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF trickier and the Pentax K-5 will give you extra detail utilizing its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively.