Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-500

Lets look closer at the Olympus SH-3 and Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is very well matched but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor measurements.

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The SH-3 was revealed 2 years later than the K-500 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a thorough comparison, here is a short summation of how the SH-3 matches up vs the K-500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Pentax K-500. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SH-3 comes with external dimensions of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Examine the Olympus SH-3 and Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are using at that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the SH-3 and the K-500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the SH-3 and K-500 is 88 and 64 respectively.

Often, its difficult to envision the gap between sensor measurements simply by checking specs. The visual underneath may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the SH-3 and K-500.

All in all, the 2 cameras feature the identical resolution but not the same sensor measurements. The SH-3 contains the tinier sensor which is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging. The more recent SH-3 is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.