Olympus E-420 vs Pentax K-500

Below is a extensive comparison of the Olympus E-420 and Pentax K-500, both Entry-Level DSLR cameras by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) boast different sensor sizing.

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The E-420 was released 6 years before the K-500 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of the cameras have the same body design (Compact SLR).

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-420 matches up vs the K-500 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-420 & Pentax K-500. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

In case you're going to lug around your camera, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-420 has physical dimensions of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") with a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-420 and Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you select at that moment. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-420 and the K-500.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-420 and K-500 is 77 and 64 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to imagine the gap in sensor measurements simply by viewing a spec sheet. The photograph here might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-420 and K-500.

Clearly, each of the cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-420 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-500 will result in more detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will let you crop photos more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.