Olympus TG-870 vs Pentax K20D

Following is a extended overview of the Olympus TG-870 and Pentax K20D, former is a Ultracompact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the TG-870 (16MP) and the K20D (15MP) is fairly well matched but the TG-870 (1/2.3") and K20D (APS-C) posses totally different sensor size.

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The TG-870 was brought out 7 years after the K20D which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-870 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple overview of how the TG-870 grades versus the K20D for portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus Tough TG-870 & Pentax K20D. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-870 Gallery & Pentax K20D Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus TG-870 has got outside dimensions of 113mm x 64mm x 28mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.1") with a weight of 221 grams (0.49 lbs) whilst the Pentax K20D has proportions of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check the Olympus TG-870 and Pentax K20D in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the TG-870 compared to the K20D.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the TG-870 and K20D is 91 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it can be difficult to see the contrast between sensor sizes purely by checking specifications. The image below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the TG-870 and K20D.

To sum up, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The TG-870 featuring a tinier sensor will make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Olympus TG-870 will resolve more detail having its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos way more aggressively. The newer TG-870 will have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.