Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Lets look more closely at the Olympus VG-120 and Pentax K-5 IIs, former being a Ultracompact while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the VG-120 (14MP) and the K-5 IIs (16MP) is fairly similar but the VG-120 (1/2.3") and K-5 IIs (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The VG-120 was revealed 3 years earlier than the K-5 IIs and that is quite a significant difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a in depth comparison, below is a short summation of how the VG-120 grades versus the K-5 IIs in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-120 & Pentax K-5 IIs. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-120 Gallery & Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-120 offers external measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") having a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 IIs has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-120 and Pentax K-5 IIs in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are utilizing during that time. The following is the front view dimensions comparison of the VG-120 and the K-5 IIs.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and K-5 IIs is 96 and 60 respectively.

Generally, it is very hard to picture the difference between sensor sizing merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The photograph here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the VG-120 and K-5 IIs.

As you can see, both of those cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The VG-120 using its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-5 IIs will deliver more detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The older VG-120 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.