Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax KP

Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax KP, former being a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the SP-100 (16MP) and KP (24MP) and the SP-100 (1/2.3") and KP (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizing.

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The SP-100 was unveiled 4 years prior to the KP and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SP-100 being a SLR-like (bridge) camera and the Pentax KP being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go through a full comparison, below is a simple summation of how the SP-100 scores against the KP in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus Stylus SP-100 & Pentax KP. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SP-100 Gallery & Pentax KP Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus SP-100 has outside dimensions of 122mm x 91mm x 133mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 5.2") along with a weight of 594 grams (1.31 lbs) whilst the Pentax KP has measurements of 132mm x 101mm x 76mm (5.2" x 4.0" x 3.0") and a weight of 703 grams (1.55 lbs).

See the Olympus SP-100 vs Pentax KP in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is the front view measurements comparison of the SP-100 versus the KP.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the SP-100 and KP is 63 and 61 respectively.

In many cases, it is tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizing simply by going over a spec sheet. The visual below will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the SP-100 and KP.

Clearly, both the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The SP-100 with its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field trickier and the Pentax KP will offer you greater detail having an extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images far more aggressively. The older SP-100 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.