Olympus VR-320 vs Pentax K-5

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus VR-320 versus Pentax K-5, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the VR-320 (14MP) and the K-5 (16MP) is very well matched but the VR-320 (1/2.3") and K-5 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The VR-320 was manufactured 8 months after the K-5 and they are of a similar age. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VR-320 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a short view of how the VR-320 matches up versus the K-5 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus VR-320 & Pentax K-5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus VR-320 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

If you're going to carry around your camera regularly, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus VR-320 offers outer dimensions of 101mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") having a weight of 158 grams (0.35 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Check the Olympus VR-320 versus Pentax K-5 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the VR-320 vs the K-5.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the VR-320 and K-5 is 94 and 60 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizes just by checking specifications. The picture below should provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the VR-320 and K-5.

To sum up, both of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The VR-320 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-5 will give you extra detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images somewhat more aggressively. The newer VR-320 will have an edge with regard to sensor technology.