Olympus E-420 vs Pentax K-7

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-420 vs Pentax K-7, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-420 (10MP) and K-7 (15MP) and the E-420 (Four Thirds) and K-7 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was released 15 months prior to the K-7 which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-420 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-420 grades versus the K-7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-420 & Pentax K-7. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Pentax K-7 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to think about 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) while the Pentax K-7 has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-420 vs Pentax K-7 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is a front view measurements comparison of the E-420 vs the K-7.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and K-7 is 77 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements just by viewing specs. The photograph here should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-420 and K-7.

All in all, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-420 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-7 will render more detail as a result of its extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots more aggressively. The older E-420 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.