Olympus E-500 vs Pentax KP

Below is a detailed review of the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax KP, both Advanced DSLR cameras by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and KP (24MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and KP (APS-C) posses different sensor size.

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The E-500 was manufactured 12 years prior to the KP and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-500 matches up against the KP for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 and Pentax KP. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Pentax KP Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 offers physical measurements of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") accompanied by a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax KP has sizing of 132mm x 101mm x 76mm (5.2" x 4.0" x 3.0") along with a weight of 703 grams (1.55 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax KP in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing at the time. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 against the KP.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and KP is 70 and 61 respectively.

Normally, it's hard to imagine the difference in sensor measurements merely by seeing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the E-500 and KP.

Clearly, both the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-500 due to its smaller sensor is going to make achieving bokeh harder and the Pentax KP will produce extra detail due to its extra 16 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also let you crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.