Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-500

Here is a extended comparison of the Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the VG-160 (14MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is fairly close but the VG-160 (1/2.3") and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizing.

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The VG-160 was brought out 22 months prior to the K-500 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the VG-160 grades versus the K-500 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus VG-160 & Pentax K-500. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus VG-160 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera frequently, you're going to have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus VG-160 enjoys physical dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") accompanied by a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-500 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have chosen at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the VG-160 vs the K-500.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the VG-160 and K-500 is 96 and 64 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing purely by looking through technical specs. The graphic underneath will offer you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the VG-160 and K-500.

As you can tell, the two cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The VG-160 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-500 will provide you with more detail having its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The older VG-160 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.