Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-1

Lets look a bit more in depth at the Olympus VG-160 versus Pentax K-1, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) provide totally different sensor sizes.

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The VG-160 was released 5 years prior to the K-1 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the VG-160 matches up against the K-1 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VG-160 & Pentax K-1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Pentax K-1 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to lug around your camera often, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus VG-160 offers outer dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") and a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) while the Pentax K-1 has dimensions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus VG-160 versus Pentax K-1 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that moment. Following is a front view measurement comparison of the VG-160 compared to the K-1.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the VG-160 and K-1 is 96 and 55 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements purely by going through a spec sheet. The visual underneath will provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the VG-160 and K-1.

As you can see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The VG-160 due to its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Pentax K-1 will produce greater detail as a result of its extra 22MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older VG-160 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.