Olympus E-5 vs Pentax ist DS2

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-5 versus Pentax ist DS2, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-5 (12MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the E-5 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) posses different sensor dimensions.

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The E-5 was manufactured 5 years later than the ist DS2 and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-5 scores against the ist DS2 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 & Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-5 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to lug around your camera, you have to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-5 has outer measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Pentax ist DS2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-5 versus Pentax ist DS2 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have attached at the time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-5 versus the ist DS2.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and ist DS2 is 58 and 68 respectively.

Normally, it is tough to visualize the contrast between sensor measurements merely by checking specs. The visual below should give you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-5 and ist DS2.

As you can plainly see, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-5 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Olympus E-5 will give you greater detail due to its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a good deal more aggressively. The more recent E-5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.