Nikon P500 vs Pentax MX-1 Comparison

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Nikon P500

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

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Pentax MX-1

12 MP | 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) CMOS Sensor

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Nikon P500 vs Pentax MX-1 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 MX-1, which was introduced in July 2013 is a Small Sensor Compact camera with a 12.0MP 1/1.7-inch sensor. As you can see, P500 is 2 years older than MX-1. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 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" Tilting Screen

Electronic viewfinder

1 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

240fps High-Speed Video

494g. 116 x 84 x 103 mm

Pentax MX-1 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2013-07-01

12MP - 1/1.7-inch CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800

28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Tilting Screen

1 fps continuous shooting

Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution

391g. 122 x 61 x 51 mm

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 MX-1

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Pentax MX-1

Viewfinder	Electronic vs None	Better framing and control
Focal Length - Wide	23mm vs 28mm	5 mm wider coverage
Focal Length - Tele	810mm vs 112mm	698 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom	36× vs 4×	more flexible focal coverage

Reasons to choose Pentax MX-1 over Nikon Coolpix P500

RAW Support	Yes vs No	Better image quality
Max ISO	12.800 vs 3.200	300% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points	25 vs 9	16 more focus points
Max Mech. Shutter	1/8000s vs 1/1500s	faster mechanical shutter
Battery Life	290 shots vs 220 shots	70 more frames with a single charge
Weight	391 g vs 494 g	103 g lighter
Max Aperture - Wide	1.80 vs 3.40	faster lens at wide
Max Aperture - Tele	2.50 vs 5.70	faster lens at tele
Flash Coverage	12.0m vs 8.0m	4m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area	3.46µm² vs 2.34µm²	47% larger pixel area
AE Bracketing	Yes vs No	Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Pentax MX-1

Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Adjustable LCD Screen	Tilting vs Tilting	Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
LCD Screen Resolution	921k dots vs 920k dots	High resolution screens
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure	Yes vs Yes	better exposure control

Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Pentax MX-1

External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Continuous Shooting	1.0fps vs 1.0fps	Slow shooting speeds
Environmental Sealing	No vs No	not suitable for tough conditions

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Nikon P500 vs Pentax MX-1: 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 MX-1 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 MX-1 has external dimensions of 122 x 61 x 51 mm (4.8 x 2.4 x 2.01″) and weighs 391 g (0.86 lb / 13.79 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1. Pentax MX-1 is 23mm shorter and 52mm thinner than Nikon P500 but it is also 6mm wider.

Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1.

Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1.

Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Pentax MX-1 is significantly lighter (103g ) than the Nikon P500 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500

MX-1

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

P500

MX-1

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Pentax MX-1 provides any type of weather sealing in their body, so you have to give extra care especially when you are shooting outdoors. If weather sealing is a must-have feature for you, check these sections:
Top Bridge Cameras with Weather Sealing
Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Both cameras feature Tilting screens where you can change the angle of the screen to make it easier to shoot from waist or over the head levels.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax MX-1: Sensor Comparison

Both Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 have 12.0 MP resolution sensors but Nikon P500's sensor is 1/2.3-inch (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) and Pentax MX-1's sensor is 1/1.7-inch (7.44 x 5.58 mm ).

Since Pentax MX-1's has a larger sensor area with the same resolution, this means that it also has a larger pixel area hence better light collecting capacity for a given aperture compared to Nikon P500.

Below you can see the P500 and MX-1 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 Cameras

As seen above, Pentax MX-1 has a 1.5x 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.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax MX-1 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Pentax MX-1 features a 28-112 mm F1.8-2.5 4× zoom lens.

Nikon P500 has 5mm wider coverage than the Pentax MX-1. On the other hand, with a max aperture of f1.80, Pentax MX-1 is faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 698mm longer reach than the Pentax MX-1. However, with a max aperture of f2.50, Pentax MX-1 is faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500

MX-1

Widest - Samsung WB2200F

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

P500

MX-1

Longest - Nikon P1000

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

P500

MX-1

Fastest - Olympus 1

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

P500

MX-1

Fastest - Sony RX10 III

Average

What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Pentax MX-1 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 MX-1 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax MX-1 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
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

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Fast Lens at Wide: f1.80
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax MX-1 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
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
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Focus Points
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Poor Battery Life: 290 shots
112 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax MX-1 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

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
391g
Body Thickness 51mm
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax MX-1 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
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

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/1.7" (7.44 x 5.58 mm) sensor
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Pentax MX-1: 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 MX-1, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 MX-1 scores compare:

Nikon P500

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #50 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #556 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax MX-1

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #22 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #377 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax MX-1 is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Nikon P500 in all criteria.
It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Pentax MX-1 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Nikon Coolpix P500	Pentax MX-1
Brand	Nikon	Pentax
Announced	2011-02-09	2013-07-01
Body Type	SLR-like (bridge)	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/1.7-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	7.44 x 5.58 mm
Area	28.07mm²	41.52mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	3,200 ISO	12,800 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	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	23-810 mm (36×)	28-112 mm (4×)
Max Aperture	F3.4-5.7	F1.8-2.5
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Tilting	Tilting
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	921k dots	920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/1500s	1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	8.00 m	12.00 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	1.0 fps	1.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
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	Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	494g	391g
Dimensions	116 x 84 x 103mm	122 x 61 x 51mm
Battery Life	220 shots	290 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None	None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested	49
DxO Color Depth	not tested	20.4
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested	11.3
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested	208
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