Olympus 1 vs Pentax K-500

Following is a in-depth review of the Olympus 1 versus Pentax K-500, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference among the image resolutions of the 1 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the 1 (1/1.7") and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The 1 was brought out within a month of the K-500 and they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus 1 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving through a full comparison, below is a concise overview of how the 1 grades against the K-500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus 1 & Pentax K-500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus 1 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you're planning to carry around your camera regularly, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus 1 has external measurements of 116mm x 87mm x 57mm (4.6" x 3.4" x 2.2") along with a weight of 402 grams (0.89 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Check the Olympus 1 versus Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the 1 vs the K-500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the 1 and K-500 is 79 and 64 respectively.

Usually, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes only by going through technical specs. The picture here will help give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the 1 and K-500.

As you can tell, both the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The 1 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-500 will provide greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop pictures much more aggressively.