Olympus TG-310 vs Pentax K-5 II

Its time to look more in depth at the Olympus TG-310 vs Pentax K-5 II, former being a Waterproof while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the TG-310 (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is relatively close but the TG-310 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The TG-310 was revealed 3 years prior to the K-5 II and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-310 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a in depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the TG-310 grades against the K-5 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus TG-310 & Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are provided at Olympus TG-310 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus TG-310 provides external measurements of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") and a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Look at the Olympus TG-310 vs Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-310 against the K-5 II.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the TG-310 and K-5 II is 94 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, its tough to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The visual underneath might offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the TG-310 and K-5 II.

As you can tell, the 2 cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The TG-310 using its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-5 II will render extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots way more aggressively. The older TG-310 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.