Olympus E-500 vs Pentax E85

Here, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax E85, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and E85 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and E85 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor size.

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The E-500 was brought out 4 years prior to the E85 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-500 grades versus the E85 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 and Pentax Optio E85. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Pentax E85 Gallery.

For those who are planning to carry your camera, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 provides exterior dimensions 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 E85 has dimensions of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") and a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-500 vs Pentax E85 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-500 compared to the E85.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and E85 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Sometimes, its tough to envision the difference in sensor sizing simply by checking out specs. The photograph here should give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and E85.

All in all, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-500 due to its bigger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF simpler and the Pentax E85 will show more detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older E-500 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.