Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-500

Here is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-500, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) posses different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-500 was announced 9 years earlier than the K-500 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-500 scores vs the K-500 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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

If you're aiming to carry your camera often, you need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 has got outside measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-500 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at the time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-500 vs the K-500.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and K-500 is 70 and 64 respectively.

In many cases, it is difficult to picture the difference in sensor sizing just by going through a spec sheet. The photograph underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and K-500.

As you can see, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 with its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-500 will provide extra detail with its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.