Olympus SZ-16 iHS vs Pentax K-50

Lets look a little more in depth at the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Pentax K-50, one being a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the SZ-16 iHS (16MP) and the K-50 (16MP) is very close but the SZ-16 iHS (1/2.3") and K-50 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

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The SZ-16 iHS was launched 10 months earlier than the K-50 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus SZ-16 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving through a in depth comparison, below is a quick overview of how the SZ-16 iHS scores vs the K-50 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus SZ-16 iHS and Pentax K-50. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SZ-16 iHS Gallery and Pentax K-50 Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus SZ-16 iHS provides physical measurements of 108mm x 70mm x 40mm (4.3" x 2.8" x 1.6") accompanied by a weight of 226 grams (0.50 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-50 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SZ-16 iHS versus Pentax K-50 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you use at the time. Following is the front view measurements comparison of the SZ-16 iHS vs the K-50.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the SZ-16 iHS and K-50 is 89 and 63 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements simply by looking through a spec sheet. The visual underneath may offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the SZ-16 iHS and K-50.

As you can see, each of the cameras have got the exact same resolution but not the same sensor measurements. The SZ-16 iHS has the smaller sensor which should make getting shallower DOF tougher. The older SZ-16 iHS will be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.