Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax K-30

The following is a thorough review of the Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax K-30, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the SP-100 (16MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is relatively comparable but the SP-100 (1/2.3") and K-30 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The SP-100 was launched 16 months after the K-30 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short highlight of how the SP-100 matches up vs the K-30 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Pentax K-30. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.

If you are intending to travel with your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus SP-100 comes with physical measurements of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") having a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) while the Pentax K-30 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Compare the Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax K-30 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Below is a front view scale comparison of the SP-100 vs the K-30.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the SP-100 and K-30 is 63 and 63 respectively.

Generally, it can be tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by going through technical specs. The pic here will give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the SP-100 and K-30.

As you can tell, the two cameras provide the same MP albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The SP-100 contains the smaller sensor which should make obtaining shallower DOF more challenging. The younger SP-100 is going to have an advantage in sensor innovation.