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Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5 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 X-5

16 MP | 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Pentax X-5
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Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing P500 and X-5, two Small Sensor Superzoom cameras from Nikon and Pentax. Both cameras have 1/2.3-inch sensors but Nikon P500 has a 12.0 MP and Pentax X-5 has a 16.0 MP resolution. Nikon P500 was introduced to market in February 2011 and Pentax X-5 was launched in August 2012. There is 18 months difference between P500 and X-5 so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger X-5, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 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 X-5 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-08-22
  • 16MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • 22-580 mm F3.1-5.9 Zoom Lens
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • 230k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 595g. 119 x 86 x 107 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 X-5

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Nikon Coolpix P500 over Pentax X-5
LCD Screen Resolution
921k dots vs 460k dots 100% higher resolution screen
Weight
494 g vs 595 g 101 g lighter
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 580mm 230 mm longer tele reach
Optical Zoom
36× vs 26× more flexible focal coverage
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.90 faster lens at tele
Sensor Pixel Area
2.34µm2 vs 1.74µm2 34% larger pixel area


Reasons to choose Pentax X-5 over Nikon Coolpix P500
Max Sensor Resolution
16 MP vs 12 MP 33% more pixels
Max ISO
6.400 vs 3.200 100% higher Max ISO
Continuous Shooting
10.0fps vs 1.0fps 9 fps faster
Battery Life
330 shots vs 220 shots 110 more frames with a single charge
Focal Length - Wide
22mm vs 23mm 1 mm wider coverage
Max Aperture - Wide
3.10 vs 3.40 faster lens at wide
Flash Coverage
9.1m vs 8.0m 1.1m longer range

Common Strengths of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Pentax X-5
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
Viewfinder
Yes (Electronic) vs Yes (Electronic) Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Manual Focusing
Yes vs Yes both have manual focusing modes
Manual Exposure
Yes vs Yes better exposure control
Focal Length - Wide
23mm vs 22mm Very good wide angle coverage
Focal Length - Tele
810mm vs 580mm Very good Telezoom
Common Weaknesses of Nikon Coolpix P500 and Pentax X-5
External Flash Shoe
No vs No Not suitable for flash photography
RAW Support
No vs No Lower image quality
Environmental Sealing
No vs No not suitable for tough conditions
Max Aperture - Tele
5.70 vs 5.90 Slow lenses at tele
Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5: 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 X-5 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 X-5 has external dimensions of 119 x 86 x 107 mm (4.69 x 3.39 x 4.21″) and weighs 595 g (1.31 lb / 20.99 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5. Nikon P500 is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 3mm narrower, 2mm shorter and 4mm thinner than Pentax X-5.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5.
Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 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 (101g ) than the Pentax X-5 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Weight Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P500
X-5
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

Bridge Cameras

P500
X-5
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Unfortunately neither Nikon Coolpix P500 nor Pentax X-5 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

LCD Screen Size and Features

Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5'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 X-5: 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 X-5 has a 16.0MP 1/2.3-inch (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor .

Below you can see the P500 and X-5 sensor size comparison.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 Cameras


Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5 Lens Specs Comparison

Nikon P500 features a 23-810 mm F3.4-5.7 36× zoom lens whereas Pentax X-5 features a 22-580 mm F3.1-5.9 26× zoom lens.

Pentax X-5 has 1mm wider coverage than the Nikon P500. At f3.10, it is also faster at widest end. On the tele end, Nikon P500 has 230mm longer reach than the Pentax X-5. At f5.70, it is also faster at tele end.

Wide Coverage

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
X-5
Widest - Samsung WB2200F
Average
Telezoom

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
X-5
Longest - Nikon P1000
Average
Max Aperture at Tele

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
X-5
Fastest - Olympus 1
Average
Max Aperture at Wide

DSLR-Like Cameras

P500
X-5
Fastest - Sony RX10 III
Average
What types of Photography are Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Nikon P500 and Pentax X-5 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 X-5 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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Average Ergonomics&Handling
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Street Photography

GOOD

Pentax X-5 for Street Photography

GOOD
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
22 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Medium sized Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax X-5 for Sports Photography

AVERAGE
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
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
580 mm Tele Lens
Average Ergonomics&Handling
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1500s
9 Focus Points
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.90
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax X-5 for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
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
26.4X Optical Zoom
Medium size Body
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
595g
Body Thickness 107mm
Read the details

Nikon P500 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax X-5 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
22 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33" (6.08 x 4.56 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Nikon P500 vs Pentax X-5: 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 X-5, 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 X-5 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 X-5
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #45 out of 113 in SLR-like (bridge) cameras
Ranked #527 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax X-5 has a higher Overall Score than the Nikon P500 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Nikon P500
Nikon P500
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Pentax X-5
Pentax X-5
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Pentax X-5 vs Nikon P500 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Nikon Coolpix P500 Pentax X-5
Brand Nikon Pentax
Announced 2011-02-09 2012-08-22
Body Type SLR-like (bridge) SLR-like (bridge)
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
Size 1/2.3-inch 1/2.3-inch
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 6.08 x 4.56 mm
Area 28.07mm2 27.72mm2
Megapixels 12 megapixels 16 megapixels
Max Resolution 4000 x 3000 4608 x 3456
Max Native Light sensitivity 3,200 ISO 6,400 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 9
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens fixed lens
Lens Focal Range 23-810 mm (36×) 22-580 mm (26×)
Max Aperture F3.4-5.7 F3.1-5.9
Macro Focus Range 1cm 1cm
Screen
Type Tilting Tilting
Size 3" 3"
Resolution 921k dots 460k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution n/a 230k dots
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/1500s 1/1500s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 8.00 m 9.10 m
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 10.0 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 Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None Eye-Fi Connected
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 494g 595g
Dimensions 116 x 84 x 103mm 119 x 86 x 107mm
Battery Life 220 shots 330 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
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