Olympus E-420 vs Pentax K-r

Below, we will be comparing the Olympus E-420 and Pentax K-r, both Entry-Level DSLR digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-420 (10MP) and the K-r (12MP) is pretty well matched but the E-420 (Four Thirds) and K-r (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-420 was introduced 3 years before the K-r which is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Compact SLR).

Before we go through a thorough comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-420 matches up vs the K-r with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-420 & Pentax K-r. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-420 Gallery & Pentax K-r Gallery.

In case you're intending to travel with your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-420 enjoys outer measurements of 130mm x 91mm x 53mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.1") accompanied by a weight of 426 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Pentax K-r has specifications of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-420 and Pentax K-r in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-420 and the K-r.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-420 and K-r is 77 and 67 respectively.

Quite often, it is very tough to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions simply by reading through specifications. The picture here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-420 and K-r.

To sum up, both of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-420 using its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-r will give you more detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-420 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.