Olympus VG-160 vs Pentax K100D

Lets look more closely at the Olympus VG-160 versus Pentax K100D, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap among the resolutions of the VG-160 (14MP) and K100D (6MP) and the VG-160 (1/2.3") and K100D (APS-C) provide different sensor sizes.

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The VG-160 was launched 5 years later than the K100D and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus VG-160 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the VG-160 matches up against the K100D in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VG-160 and Pentax K100D. The complete galleries are available at Olympus VG-160 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-160 offers external 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 K100D has proportions of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

See the Olympus VG-160 versus Pentax K100D in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that moment. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the VG-160 vs the K100D.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VG-160 and K100D is 96 and 64 respectively.

Sometimes, it is hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing merely by researching specs. The graphic here might provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-160 and K100D.

All in all, each of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The VG-160 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus VG-160 will result in greater detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics a bit more aggressively. The more modern VG-160 provides an edge when it comes to sensor technology.