Olympus E-5 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

Below is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-5 vs Pentax K-5 IIs, both Advanced DSLR cameras by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and K-5 IIs (16MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and K-5 IIs (APS-C) use totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was announced 3 years prior to the K-5 IIs and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before getting in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-5 matches up versus the K-5 IIs with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-5 & Pentax K-5 IIs. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

If you're looking to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-5 enjoys exterior dimensions of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 IIs has sizing of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-5 vs Pentax K-5 IIs in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-5 versus the K-5 IIs.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and K-5 IIs is 58 and 60 respectively.

More often than not, it is very hard to see the difference in sensor measurements simply by checking out technical specs. The visual below may provide you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-5 and K-5 IIs.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-5 having a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-5 IIs will show extra detail with its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-5 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.