Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5
59 Imaging
37 Features
36 Overall
36
60 Imaging
55 Features
82 Overall
65
Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 5MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 735g - 141 x 104 x 81mm
- Released November 2003
- Successor is Olympus E-3
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 12800 (Push to 51200)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 740g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
- Introduced December 2010
- Previous Model is Pentax K-7
- New Model is Pentax K-5 IIs
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Its time to take a more detailed look at the Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5, one is a Pro DSLR and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and K-5 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe E-1 was manufactured 8 years before the K-5 which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before diving right into a complete comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-1 scores vs the K-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 and Pentax K-5. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-1 over the Pentax K-5
| E-1 | K-5 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Pentax K-5 over the Olympus E-1
| K-5 | E-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | December 2010 | November 2003 | Newer by 85 months | |
| Screen size | 3" | 1.8" | Bigger screen (+1.2") | |
| Screen resolution | 921k | 134k | Sharper screen (+787k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-1 and Pentax K-5
| E-1 | K-5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | More exact focusing | |||
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | No selfie screen | |||
| Touch screen | No Touch screen |
Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5 Physical Comparison
When you are aiming to travel with your camera often, you need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-1 offers external dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view sizing comparison of the E-1 versus the K-5.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and K-5 is 59 and 60 respectively.
Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5 Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, its difficult to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions only by reading specifications. The picture underneath will provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and K-5.
Plainly, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-1 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh more challenging and the Pentax K-5 will offer you greater detail due to its extra 11MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged E-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-5 Specifications
| Olympus E-1 | Pentax K-5 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Manufacturer | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus E-1 | Pentax K-5 |
| Category | Pro DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
| Released | 2003-11-29 | 2010-12-18 |
| Body design | Large SLR | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | - | Prime II |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 372.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 5 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Highest resolution | 2560 x 1920 | 4928 x 3264 |
| Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
| Highest boosted ISO | - | 51200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
| RAW data | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| Single AF | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| AF selectice | ||
| Center weighted AF | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| Live view AF | ||
| Face detect AF | ||
| Contract detect AF | ||
| Phase detect AF | ||
| Total focus points | 3 | 11 |
| Cross type focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Total lenses | 45 | 151 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Display diagonal | 1.8" | 3" |
| Display resolution | 134k dot | 921k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch operation | ||
| Display tech | - | TFT LCD monitor |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.48x | 0.61x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/8000s |
| Continuous shooting speed | 3.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manually set exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Change WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, High speed, Rear curtain and Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | 1/180s | 1/180s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (25 fps), 1280 x 720 (25, 30 fps), 640 x 424 (25, 30 fps) |
| Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | - | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 735 gr (1.62 lb) | 740 gr (1.63 lb) |
| Physical dimensions | 141 x 104 x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") | 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | 82 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 14.1 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1162 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 980 pictures |
| Battery form | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | - | D-LI90 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Price at launch | $1,700 | $800 |