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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500

Portability
91
Imaging
40
Features
44
Overall
41
Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS front
 
Pentax K-500 front
Portability
64
Imaging
58
Features
70
Overall
62

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs

Olympus TG-850 iHS
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 21-105mm (F3.5-5.7) lens
  • 218g - 110 x 64 x 28mm
  • Released January 2014
Pentax K-500
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 51600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/6000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 646g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
  • Announced November 2013
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Overview

Below is a thorough review of the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Pentax K-500, one being a Waterproof and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the TG-850 iHS (16MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is fairly close but the TG-850 iHS (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The TG-850 iHS was unveiled 3 months later than the K-500 and they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus TG-850 iHS being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting into a complete comparison, here is a short view of how the TG-850 iHS scores against the K-500 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus TG-850 iHS over the Pentax K-500

 TG-850 iHS K-500 
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display

Reasons to pick Pentax K-500 over the Olympus TG-850 iHS

 K-500 TG-850 iHS 
Manual focus Dial precise focus
Display resolution921k460kClearer display (+461k dot)

Common features in the Olympus TG-850 iHS and Pentax K-500

 TG-850 iHS K-500 
AnnouncedJanuary 2014November 2013Same generation
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display dimensions
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen
Touch friendly display Neither provides Touch friendly display

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus TG-850 iHS provides exterior dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") and a weight of 218 grams (0.48 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Olympus TG-850 iHS versus Pentax K-500 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the TG-850 iHS and the K-500.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the TG-850 iHS and K-500 is 91 and 64 respectively.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements only by looking through specs. The graphic here may offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-850 iHS and K-500.

All in all, each of the cameras have the same MP but not the same sensor measurements. The TG-850 iHS uses the smaller sensor which should make achieving shallow DOF more difficult.

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 sensor size comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus TG-850 iHS
Portrait photography with Pentax K-500
35
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
provides face detection focusing
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
no external flash support
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
74
you can focus manually
megapixel count decent (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
has face detect focus
supports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Street photography camera
Pentax K-500 as a Street photography camera
69
screen tilts
image stabilization (Optical)
environment sealing
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
68
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
supports RAW formats
above average high ISO (51,600)
fixed screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS as a Sports photography camera
Pentax K-500 as a Sports photography camera
51
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
provides tracking autofocus
environment sealing
good battery (330 CIPA)
lack of shutter priority mode
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
72
high shutter speed (1/6,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
has tracking focus
great battery pack (710 CIPA)
supports phase detect auto focus
continuous shooting slow (6.0 frames/s)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Travel photography info
Pentax K-500 Travel photography info
72
good battery (330 per charge)
environment sealing
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
flash built-in
rather wide (21mm)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
slow max aperture (f3.5)
67
great battery pack (710 CIPA)
megapixel count decent (16 megapixels)
has built in flash
does not posses selfie friendly screen
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Landscape photography information
Pentax K-500 Landscape photography information
50
rather wide (21mm)
pretty good screen size (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (16MP)
environment sealing
good battery (330 per charge)
focusing manually not possible
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
79
you can focus manually
swap lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count decent (16MP)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
above average high ISO (51,600)
supports RAW formats
great battery pack (710 per charge)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus TG-850 iHS Vlogging factors
Pentax K-500 Vlogging factors
33
rather wide (21mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection focusing
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have a selfie friendly screen
does not have external microphone support
30
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
lack of mic socket
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Olympus TG-850 iHS vs Pentax K-500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus TG-850 iHS and Pentax K-500
 Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHSPentax K-500
General Information
Brand Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 iHS Pentax K-500
Type Waterproof Entry-Level DSLR
Released 2014-01-29 2013-11-27
Physical type Compact Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VII PRIME M
Sensor type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Sensor size 1/2.3" APS-C
Sensor dimensions 6.17 x 4.55mm 23.7 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 28.1mm² 372.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio - 3:2
Highest Possible resolution 4616 x 3464 4928 x 3264
Maximum native ISO 6400 51600
Lowest native ISO 125 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points - 11
Cross type focus points - 9
Lens
Lens mount type fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens zoom range 21-105mm (5.0x) -
Max aperture f/3.5-5.7 -
Available lenses - 151
Crop factor 5.8 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen size 3 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 460 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology TFT LCD TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100%
Viewfinder magnification - 0.61x
Features
Min shutter speed 1/2 seconds 30 seconds
Max shutter speed 1/2000 seconds 1/6000 seconds
Continuous shutter rate 7.0fps 6.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation - Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance - 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash modes - Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync+Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Max flash synchronize - 1/180 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 30p), 1280 x 720 (60p), 640 x 480 (30 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 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video data format H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Yes None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 218 gr (0.48 lb) 646 gr (1.42 lb)
Physical dimensions 110 x 64 x 28mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.1") 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested 79
DXO Color Depth rating not tested 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested 13.1
DXO Low light rating not tested 1087
Other
Battery life 330 images 710 images
Battery type Battery Pack AA
Battery ID LI-50B 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 sec, 12 sec, Custom Self-Timer (1-30 sec start timer, 1-10 pictures, 1-3 sec interval)) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse recording
Storage type SD, SDHC, SDXC, Internal Memory SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 1
Pricing at release $250 $600