Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Pentax K-5 II

Following is a in-depth review of the Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Pentax K-5 II, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the SP-800 UZ (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is very close but the SP-800 UZ (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) have totally different sensor size.

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The SP-800 UZ was manufactured 4 years before the K-5 II which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-800 UZ being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a step-by-step comparison, here is a simple overview of how the SP-800 UZ matches up versus the K-5 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SP-800 UZ and Pentax K-5 II. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-800 UZ Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

If you are aiming to carry around your camera, you will need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SP-800 UZ enjoys external dimensions 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-5 II has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus SP-800 UZ vs Pentax K-5 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is a front view sizing comparison of the SP-800 UZ compared to the K-5 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the SP-800 UZ and K-5 II is 69 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very tough to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes simply by looking through specs. The picture underneath should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the SP-800 UZ and K-5 II.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The SP-800 UZ featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-5 II will result in extra detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged SP-800 UZ will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.