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Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1

Portability
70
Imaging
41
Features
34
Overall
38
Olympus E-500 front
 
Pentax Optio WG-1 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Key Specs

Olympus E-500
(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
Pentax WG-1
(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
Photography Glossary

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.

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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.

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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 
LaunchedFebruary 2011October 2005Newer by 64 months
Screen size2.7"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.2")
Screen resolution230k215kSharper screen (+15k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-500 and Pentax WG-1

 E-500 WG-1 
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Screen typeFixed 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. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

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.

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 size comparison

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 top view buttons comparison

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 sensor size comparison

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

Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-500 Portrait photography info
Pentax WG-1 Portrait photography info
48
has manual focus
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
no liveview feature
megapixel count low (8 megapixels)
35
you can focus manually
MP count good (14 megapixels)
no manual control
cannot use external flash
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-500 Street photography information
Pentax WG-1 Street photography information
56
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
lighter than competition in class (479 grams)
no moving screen
does not have image stabilization
max ISO too low (400)
54
weather proof
no moving screen
lack of image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-500 Sports photography details
Pentax WG-1 Sports photography details
37
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
sensor has phase detect auto focus
no liveview feature
max frames per second very slow (3.0 fps)
does not have image stabilization
megapixel count low (8MP)
37
MP count good (14MP)
features tracking focus
weather proof
max fps very slow (1.0 frames/s)
no shutter priority mode
lack of image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-500 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax WG-1 as a Travel photography camera
52
lighter than competition in class (479 grams)
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse mode
megapixel count low (8 megapixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
71
weather proof
MP count good (14MP)
flash built-in
quite wide (28mm)
display isn't selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-500 as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax WG-1 as a Landscape photography camera
43
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
screen is small (2.5 inches)
no liveview feature
does not have image stabilization
megapixel count low (8 megapixels)
max ISO too low (400)
lack of Time Lapse mode
42
you can focus manually
quite wide (28mm)
MP count good (14MP)
weather proof
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is somewhat small (2.7")
no manual control
lack of image stabilization
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW support
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-500 Vlogging advice
Pentax WG-1 Vlogging advice
9
no video
25
quite wide (28mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
display isn't selfie friendly
lack of image stabilization
low video resolution (1280 x 720 resolution)
lack of microphone support
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Olympus E-500 vs Pentax WG-1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-500 and Pentax WG-1
 Olympus E-500Pentax 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