Olympus TG-310 vs Pentax K-500

Its time to look closer at the Olympus TG-310 vs Pentax K-500, former is a Waterproof while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the TG-310 (14MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is pretty well matched but the TG-310 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

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The TG-310 was introduced 3 years before the K-500 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus TG-310 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going into a complete comparison, here is a simple overview of how the TG-310 matches up versus the K-500 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus TG-310 & Pentax K-500. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus TG-310 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you'll need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus TG-310 comes with physical dimensions of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") along with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

See the Olympus TG-310 vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at that time. Below is a front view physical size comparison of the TG-310 versus the K-500.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the TG-310 and K-500 is 94 and 64 respectively.

Normally, it's difficult to visualise the contrast between sensor dimensions only by reading through technical specs. The pic here may give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the TG-310 and K-500.

As you have seen, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The TG-310 having a tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-500 will resolve greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The more aged TG-310 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.