Olympus E-420 vs Pentax K-5 II

Lets examine more closely at the Olympus E-420 versus Pentax K-5 II, former is a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was brought out 6 years earlier than the K-5 II which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-420 grades against the K-5 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 & Pentax K-5 II. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera regularly, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-420 provides outside dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

See the Olympus E-420 versus Pentax K-5 II in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-420 compared to the K-5 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and K-5 II is 77 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to visualise the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reviewing technical specs. The pic below should offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-420 and K-5 II.

As you have seen, the two cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-5 II will deliver extra detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop images far more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.