Olympus E-510 vs Pentax K-1 II

Here, we are analyzing the Olympus E-510 and Pentax K-1 II, both Advanced DSLR cameras by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and K-1 II (36MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and K-1 II (Full frame) posses different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-510 was revealed 11 years prior to the K-1 II and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras feature the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a quick summation of how the E-510 scores against the K-1 II with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 & Pentax K-1 Mark II. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Pentax K-1 II Gallery.

For those who are planning to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 has outside measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") along with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) and the Pentax K-1 II has proportions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") with a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-510 and Pentax K-1 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-510 compared to the K-1 II.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-510 and K-1 II is 69 and 55 respectively.

Typically, it is hard to visualize the gap in sensor measurements purely by viewing specs. The graphic here should provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and K-1 II.

As you can plainly see, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-510 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-1 II will result in extra detail because of its extra 26MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics a good deal more aggressively. The older E-510 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.