Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

The following is a extended review of the Olympus E-500 and Pentax K-5 IIs, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference between the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and K-5 IIs (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and K-5 IIs (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-500 was revealed 8 years earlier than the K-5 IIs which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with the identical body type (Mid-size SLR).

Before diving straight into a full comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-500 matches up vs the K-5 IIs with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Pentax K-5 IIs. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera regularly, you'll have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 has got external dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") and a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 IIs has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 and Pentax K-5 IIs in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you have at that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-500 versus the K-5 IIs.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and K-5 IIs is 70 and 60 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to envision the difference between sensor dimensions purely by reading specs. The picture underneath should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and K-5 IIs.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 using its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-5 IIs will deliver extra detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also help you crop shots much more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be behind in sensor technology.