Olympus E-500 vs Pentax P70

Here is a comprehensive analysis of the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax P70, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and P70 (12MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and P70 (1/2.3") come with different sensor size.

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The E-500 was introduced 4 years before the P70 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before getting in to a full comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-500 grades vs the P70 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-500 and Pentax Optio P70. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Pentax P70 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-500 provides outside dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) and the Pentax P70 has sizing of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax P70 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-500 against the P70.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-500 and P70 is 70 and 95 respectively.

Often, it's tough to imagine the difference in sensor sizing just by looking through specs. The photograph here might give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and P70.

All in all, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-500 with its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field less difficult and the Pentax P70 will result in extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-500 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.