Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-01

Following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus Tough-3000 and Pentax K-01, one is a Waterproof and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and K-01 (16MP) and the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The Tough-3000 was launched 3 years before the K-01 which is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving straight into a complete comparison, below is a concise overview of how the Tough-3000 grades vs the K-01 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 and Pentax K-01. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery and Pentax K-01 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera, you need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus Tough-3000 offers physical dimensions of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") having a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-01 has measurements of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") accompanied by a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus Tough-3000 and Pentax K-01 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the Tough-3000 against the K-01.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the Tough-3000 and K-01 is 94 and 76 respectively.

Usually, it's hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes just by reading specs. The pic here might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the Tough-3000 and K-01.

All in all, each of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The Tough-3000 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-01 will offer extra detail utilizing its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The more aged Tough-3000 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.