Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500
94 Imaging
34 Features
26 Overall
30
64 Imaging
57 Features
70 Overall
62
Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 64 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-102mm (F3.5-5.1) lens
- 159g - 96 x 65 x 23mm
- Introduced January 2010
- Other Name is mju Tough 3000
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 51600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 646g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
- Launched November 2013
Photography Glossary Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500 Overview
Following is a detailed review of the Olympus Tough-3000 versus Pentax K-500, former is a Waterproof while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap between the resolutions of the Tough-3000 (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the Tough-3000 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) posses different sensor size.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe Tough-3000 was announced 4 years prior to the K-500 which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus Tough-3000 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going straight to a detailed comparison, here is a concise overview of how the Tough-3000 grades vs the K-500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
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Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 & Pentax K-500. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus Tough-3000 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus Tough-3000 over the Pentax K-500
| Tough-3000 | K-500 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Pentax K-500 over the Olympus Tough-3000
| K-500 | Tough-3000 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | November 2013 | January 2010 | More modern by 47 months | |
| Focus manually | More exact focus | |||
| Display size | 3" | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") | |
| Display resolution | 921k | 230k | Sharper display (+691k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus Tough-3000 and Pentax K-500
| Tough-3000 | K-500 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Lacking selfie screen | |||
| Touch display | Lacking Touch display |
Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500 Physical Comparison
When you are planning to carry around your camera often, you should think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus Tough-3000 has got outer measurements of 96mm x 65mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") and a weight of 159 grams (0.35 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has proportions 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 Tough-3000 versus Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view measurement comparison of the Tough-3000 compared to the K-500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the Tough-3000 and K-500 is 94 and 64 respectively.
Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor sizes simply by reading technical specs. The picture below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the Tough-3000 and K-500.
As you have seen, the 2 cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The Tough-3000 with its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-500 will deliver more detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The more aged Tough-3000 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.
Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus Tough-3000 vs Pentax K-500 Specifications
| Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 | Pentax K-500 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model | Olympus Stylus Tough-3000 | Pentax K-500 |
| Also called | mju Tough 3000 | - |
| Class | Waterproof | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Introduced | 2010-01-07 | 2013-11-27 |
| Body design | Compact | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic III | PRIME M |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | 1/2.3" | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 372.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 3968 x 2976 | 4928 x 3264 |
| Maximum native ISO | 1600 | 51600 |
| Lowest native ISO | 64 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Number of focus points | - | 11 |
| Cross focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | fixed lens | Pentax KAF2 |
| Lens focal range | 28-102mm (3.6x) | - |
| Highest aperture | f/3.5-5.1 | - |
| Macro focus range | 2cm | - |
| Amount of lenses | - | 151 |
| Focal length multiplier | 5.9 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 2.7 inches | 3 inches |
| Resolution of screen | 230k dot | 921k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | - | TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | None | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.61x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 4 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Max shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/6000 seconds |
| Continuous shutter speed | 1.0 frames per sec | 6.0 frames per sec |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | - | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | 4.00 m | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync+Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Max flash sync | - | 1/180 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps) 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | MPEG-4 | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental seal | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 159g (0.35 lb) | 646g (1.42 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 96 x 65 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.6" x 0.9") | 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | 79 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 13.1 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 1087 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 710 photographs |
| Form of battery | - | AA |
| Battery model | - | 4 x AA |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 seconds) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | One | One |
| Launch cost | $0 | $600 |