Olympus E-5 vs Pentax E85

Following is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-5 versus Pentax E85, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the E85 (12MP) is relatively close but the E-5 (Four Thirds) and E85 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-5 was revealed 17 months after the E85 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a quick summary of how the E-5 grades against the E85 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-5 & Pentax Optio E85. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry around your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-5 comes with external measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Pentax E85 has measurements of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-5 versus Pentax E85 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use during that time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-5 versus the E85.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and E85 is 58 and 95 respectively.

Normally, its hard to visualize the gap in sensor sizes just by looking through technical specs. The image below might give you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and E85.

As you can tell, both of those cameras feature the identical megapixels albeit different sensor sizes. The E-5 uses the bigger sensor which will make getting shallow depth of field simpler. The newer E-5 provides an advantage in sensor technology.