Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-5 II

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus VG-160 versus Pentax K-5 II, one is a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is very well matched but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The VG-160 was introduced 17 months before the K-5 II making the cameras a generation away from each other. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving through a detailed comparison, below is a short summation of how the VG-160 matches up against the K-5 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-160 and Pentax K-5 II. The whole galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 provides outer measurements of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") along with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 II has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Look at the Olympus VG-160 versus Pentax K-5 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the VG-160 against the K-5 II.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and K-5 II is 96 and 60 respectively.

Often, its tough to visualize the gap between sensor sizes just by checking technical specs. The image below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the VG-160 and K-5 II.

As you have seen, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The VG-160 having a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-5 II will give greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The more aged VG-160 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.