Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II
67 Imaging
41 Features
31 Overall
37
60 Imaging
57 Features
82 Overall
67
Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 1.8" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 400 (Bump to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 624g - 147 x 85 x 64mm
- Released January 2005
- Additionally referred to as EVOLT E-300
- Refreshed by Olympus E-330
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Push to 51200)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 760g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
- Released June 2013
- Superseded the Pentax K-5
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II Overview
The following is a complete comparison of the Olympus E-300 versus Pentax K-5 II, both Advanced DSLR cameras by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-300 (8MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the E-300 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneThe E-300 was launched 9 years before the K-5 II which is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature the same body design (Mid-size SLR).
Before diving straight to a thorough comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-300 matches up versus the K-5 II when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
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This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-300 & Pentax K-5 II. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-300 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-300 over the Pentax K-5 II
| E-300 | K-5 II |
|---|
Reasons to pick Pentax K-5 II over the Olympus E-300
| K-5 II | E-300 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | June 2013 | January 2005 | Newer by 102 months | |
| Display size | 3" | 1.8" | Larger display (+1.2") | |
| Display resolution | 921k | 134k | Sharper display (+787k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-300 and Pentax K-5 II
| E-300 | K-5 II | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | More precise focusing | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Selfie screen | Neither features selfie screen | |||
| Touch friendly display | Neither features Touch friendly display |
Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II Physical Comparison
For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-300 enjoys exterior dimensions of 147mm x 85mm x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") and a weight of 624 grams (1.38 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-300 versus Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-300 and the K-5 II.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-300 and K-5 II is 67 and 60 respectively.
Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II Sensor Comparison
Oftentimes, its tough to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions merely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-300 and K-5 II.
As you can see, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-300 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-5 II will result in extra detail utilizing its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-300 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.
Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-300 vs Pentax K-5 II Specifications
| Olympus E-300 | Pentax K-5 II | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model | Olympus E-300 | Pentax K-5 II |
| Also called as | EVOLT E-300 | - |
| Category | Advanced DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
| Released | 2005-01-10 | 2013-06-04 |
| Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | - | Prime II |
| Sensor type | CCD | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 372.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 8 megapixel | 16 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Highest Possible resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 4928 x 3264 |
| Maximum native ISO | 400 | 12800 |
| Maximum enhanced ISO | 1600 | 51200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Lowest enhanced ISO | - | 80 |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch focus | ||
| AF continuous | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| Multi area AF | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection AF | ||
| Contract detection AF | ||
| Phase detection AF | ||
| Number of focus points | 3 | 11 |
| Cross focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Number of lenses | 45 | 151 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 1.8" | 3" |
| Resolution of screen | 134k dots | 921k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch capability | ||
| Screen tech | - | TFT LCD monitor |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.61x |
| Features | ||
| Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Max shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
| Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual mode | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Built-in flash | ||
| Flash range | - | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash options | 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 | ||
| Max flash synchronize | 1/180 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (25 fps), 1280 x 720 (25, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) |
| Maximum video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
| Video data format | - | Motion JPEG |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environment sealing | ||
| Water proof | ||
| Dust proof | ||
| Shock proof | ||
| Crush proof | ||
| Freeze proof | ||
| Weight | 624g (1.38 lbs) | 760g (1.68 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 147 x 85 x 64mm (5.8" x 3.3" x 2.5") | 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO Overall score | not tested | 82 |
| DXO Color Depth score | not tested | 23.8 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | 14.1 |
| DXO Low light score | not tested | 1235 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 980 pictures |
| Battery style | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | D-LI90 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II) | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | Single | Single |
| Price at release | $800 | $830 |