Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-5

Here is a in depth review of the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-5, both Advanced DSLR cameras by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and K-5 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was unveiled 6 years earlier than the K-5 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a brief summation of how the E-500 scores versus the K-5 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 & Pentax K-5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry your camera, you will want to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 features exterior measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you choose at that time. The following is a front view measurement comparison of the E-500 versus the K-5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and K-5 is 70 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizing purely by going through specs. The photograph here may offer you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and K-5.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-5 will provide more detail having an extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 will be behind in sensor innovation.