Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-50

Below is a in-depth assessment of the Olympus VG-160 and Pentax K-50, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the K-50 (16MP) is fairly comparable but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and K-50 (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizing.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The VG-160 was manufactured 22 months earlier than the K-50 making the cameras a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a in-depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the VG-160 matches up vs the K-50 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 & Pentax K-50. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Pentax K-50 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus VG-160 has 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) and the Pentax K-50 has measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-160 and Pentax K-50 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with during that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the VG-160 vs the K-50.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the VG-160 and K-50 is 96 and 63 respectively.

Often, it is very difficult to see the gap in sensor measurements purely by seeing a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the VG-160 and K-50.

Clearly, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The VG-160 because of its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-50 will provide greater detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older VG-160 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.