Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1
70 Imaging
41 Features
34 Overall
38


93 Imaging
37 Features
31 Overall
34
Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 400 (Push to 1600)
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 479g - 130 x 95 x 66mm
- Released October 2005
- Other Name is EVOLT E-500
- Refreshed by Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 6400
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
- 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
- Launched February 2011

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Overview
The following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax WG-1, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Waterproof by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference among the image resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and WG-1 (14MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and WG-1 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor dimensions.

The E-500 was released 6 years earlier than the WG-1 which is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-500 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax WG-1 being a Compact camera.
Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-500 scores against the WG-1 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-500 and Pentax Optio WG-1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-500 Gallery and Pentax WG-1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-500 over the Pentax WG-1
E-500 | WG-1 |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax WG-1 over the Olympus E-500
WG-1 | E-500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | February 2011 | ![]() | October 2005 | Newer by 64 months |
Screen size | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 215k | Sharper screen (+15k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-500 and Pentax WG-1
E-500 | WG-1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manual focus | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither provides selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither provides Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to travel with your camera frequently, you should consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-500 provides physical dimensions 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 WG-1 has specifications of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax WG-1 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you select at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-500 vs the WG-1.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-500 and WG-1 is 70 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Sensor Comparison
Generally, it's difficult to see the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by checking out a spec sheet. The pic underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-500 and WG-1.
As you can see, the 2 cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Pentax WG-1 will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-500 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Specifications
Olympus E-500 | Pentax Optio WG-1 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Pentax |
Model | Olympus E-500 | Pentax Optio WG-1 |
Also called | EVOLT E-500 | - |
Type | Advanced DSLR | Waterproof |
Released | 2005-10-21 | 2011-02-07 |
Physical type | Mid-size SLR | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8MP | 14MP |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 |
Highest Possible resolution | 3264 x 2448 | 4288 x 3216 |
Maximum native ISO | 400 | 6400 |
Maximum enhanced ISO | 1600 | - |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch focus | ||
Continuous AF | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
AF multi area | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Number of focus points | 3 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | fixed lens |
Lens focal range | - | 28-140mm (5.0x) |
Highest aperture | - | f/3.5-5.5 |
Macro focus range | - | 1cm |
Total lenses | 45 | - |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 2.5" | 2.7" |
Display resolution | 215k dots | 230k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Display tech | - | TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | Optical (pentaprism) | None |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | - |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.45x | - |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 seconds | 4 seconds |
Max shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/1500 seconds |
Continuous shutter rate | 3.0 frames per second | 1.0 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual mode | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | - |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash range | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) | 3.90 m |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft |
External flash | ||
AEB | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Max flash synchronize | 1/180 seconds | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | - | 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps) |
Maximum video resolution | None | 1280x720 |
Video data format | - | Motion JPEG |
Microphone support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 479g (1.06 lbs) | 157g (0.35 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 95 x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") | 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range score | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light score | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 260 photos |
Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Battery model | - | D-LI92 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Retail price | $600 | $350 |