Olympus FE-5020 vs Pentax K-1

In this write-up, we will be matching up the Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax K-1, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the FE-5020 (12MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the FE-5020 (1/2.3") and K-1 (Full frame) possess totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The FE-5020 was released 7 years prior to the K-1 and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus FE-5020 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick summary of how the FE-5020 scores vs the K-1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax K-1. The complete galleries are available at Olympus FE-5020 Gallery and Pentax K-1 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus FE-5020 offers external measurements of 93mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 137 grams (0.30 lbs) while the Pentax K-1 has specifications of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") with a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Look at the Olympus FE-5020 and Pentax K-1 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is the front view over all size comparison of the FE-5020 compared to the K-1.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the FE-5020 and K-1 is 95 and 55 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to visualise the gap between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The graphic here might give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the FE-5020 and K-1.

As you can tell, each of the cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The FE-5020 because of its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Pentax K-1 will resolve greater detail as a result of its extra 24 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also help you crop shots a little more aggressively. The older FE-5020 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.