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Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50 Comparison

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Nikon P500

12 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Nikon P500
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Pentax K-50

16 MP | APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-50
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Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Nikon P500, which was introduced in February 2011 is a Small Sensor Superzoom camera with a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensor whereas Pentax K-50, which was introduced in November 2013 is a Entry-Level DSLR camera with a 16.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than K-50. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Nikon P500 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2011-02-09
  • 12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 160 - 3200
  • 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Tilting Screen
  • Electronic viewfinder
  • 1.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 240fps High-Speed Video
  • 494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Pentax K-50 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2013-11-27
  • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 51600
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.00" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 6.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 650g. 130 x 97 x 71 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Pentax K-30 Compare

Nikon P500 was replaced by Nikon Coolpix P510. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Nikon Coolpix P500
Nikon Coolpix P510 vs Pentax K-50

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Pentax K-50
LCD Screen
Tilting vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Internal Storage
102 MB vs None Extra built-in storage
Weight
494 g vs 650 g 156 g lighter
CHECK P500 PRICE


Reasons to choose Pentax K-50 over Nikon Coolpix P500
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
51.600 vs 3.200 1512% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
11 vs 9 2 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter
1/6000s vs 1/1500s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
6.0fps vs 1.0fps 5 fps faster
Battery Life
410 shots vs 220 shots 190 more frames with a single charge
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
12.0m vs 8.0m 4m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
23.14µm2 vs 2.34µm2 888% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
CHECK K-50 PRICE

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Pentax K-50
Image Stabilization
Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 921k dots High resolution screens
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Pentax K-50
Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Nikon P500 has external dimensions of 116 x 84 x 10 mm (4.57 x 3.31 x 4.06″) and weighs 494 g (1.09 lb / 17.43 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K-50 has external dimensions of 130 x 97 x 71 mm (5.12 x 3.82 x 2.8″) and weighs 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50. Nikon P500 is 14mm narrower and 13mm shorter than Pentax K-50 but it is also 32mm thicker. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Nikon P500 has a built-in lens but Pentax K-50 doesn't. Once you put a lens on K-50, its thickness will increase significantly.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50.
Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Nikon P500 is significantly lighter (156g ) than the Pentax K-50 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on K-50, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of K-50, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to P500.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3.00".

On the other hand, Nikon P500 features a Tilting screen where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels whereas the Pentax K-50 has a fixed type screen which provides less flexibility in shooting positions compared to P500.
Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50: Sensor Comparison

Nikon P500 has a 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Expeed C2 processor. On the other hand, Pentax K-50 has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features PRIME M processor.

Below you can see the P500 and K-50 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax K-50 has a 13.3x Larger sensor area than Nikon P500. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Nikon P500 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-50 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-50 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-50 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
810 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 220 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
9 Cross Type Focus sensors
11 Focus Points
Good Low Light ISO
Average Continuous Shooting: 6.0fps
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-50 for Daily Photography

GOOD
35.2X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
494g
Body Thickness 103mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
650g
Body Thickness 71mm
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax K-50 for Landscape Photography

POOR
23 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.7 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Pentax K-50: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Nikon P500 and Pentax K-50 scores compare:

Nikon P500
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #51 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #599 out of 1257 in all Cameras
Pentax K-50
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #26 out of 80 in Compact SLR cameras
Ranked #245 out of 1257 in all Cameras

Pentax K-50 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon P500 in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Nikon P500. Otherwise, Pentax K-50 is the better camera overall.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Pentax K-50
Pentax K-50
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Pentax K-50 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Pentax K-50
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2011-02-09 2013-11-27
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) Compact SLR
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.7 x 15.7 mm
Area 28.07mm2 372.09mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4928 x 3264
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 51,600 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 160 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 11
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens Focal Range 23-810 mm (36×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.00"
Resolution 921k dots 921k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.61x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/6000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 6.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 650g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 130 x 97 x 71mm
Battery Life 220 shots 410 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 79
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.0
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1120
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