Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-01

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-01, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the K-01 (16MP) is fairly similar but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and K-01 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

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The VG-160 was announced 4 months before the K-01 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-01 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a simple overview of how the VG-160 grades against the K-01 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 and Pentax K-01. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Pentax K-01 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 offers outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Pentax K-01 has specifications of 122mm x 79mm x 58mm (4.8" x 3.1" x 2.3") having a weight of 561 grams (1.24 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-01 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the VG-160 compared to the K-01.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the VG-160 and K-01 is 96 and 76 respectively.

More often than not, it can be difficult to imagine the difference between sensor measurements just by reviewing specs. The graphic below might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and K-01.

As you can plainly see, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VG-160 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-01 will deliver extra detail with its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop images somewhat more aggressively.