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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500

Portability
67
Imaging
62
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Pentax K-500 front
Portability
64
Imaging
58
Features
70
Overall
62

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Launched February 2020
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-M1 II
Pentax K-500
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 646g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
  • Introduced November 2013
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Overview

Its time to look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-M1 III was manufactured 6 years after the K-500 which is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before getting right into a thorough comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-M1 III scores versus the K-500 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Pentax K-500

 E-M1 III K-500 
IntroducedFebruary 2020November 2013More modern by 76 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen resolution1037k921kCrisper screen (+116k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-500 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 K-500 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax K-500

 E-M1 III K-500 
Focus manually Dial exact focusing
Screen dimensions3"3"Equal screen measurement

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Physical Comparison

In case you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 III provides outside dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you choose at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M1 III versus the K-500.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 III and K-500 is 67 and 64 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it can be tough to visualise the gap between sensor sizes purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The picture here might provide you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 III and K-500.

As you can see, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 III because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallower depth of field harder and the Olympus E-M1 III will offer greater detail due to its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 III will have an edge in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax K-500 as a Portrait photography camera
77
has manual focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
includes face detection autofocus
exports RAW files
74
you can focus manually
good megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
includes face detect autofocus
delivers RAW files
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Street photography with Pentax K-500
78
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
features touch focus
environment sealing
good ISO range (25,600)
68
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW files
great high ISO (51,600)
no moving screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Sports photography features
Pentax K-500 Sports photography features
81
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shooting (1/32,000 seconds)
fast shooting (60.0 frames per second)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
includes tracking autofocus
environment sealing
supports phase detect autofocus
72
maximum shutter speed is high (1/6,000s)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
includes tracking focus
better than average battery life (710 per charge)
supports phase detect autofocus
slow continuous shooting (6.0 fps)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Travel photography features
Pentax K-500 Travel photography features
79
environment sealing
supports bluetooth
features touch focus
megapixel count decent (20MP)
selfie friendly display
67
better than average battery life (710 per charge)
good megapixels (16MP)
flash built-in
display isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Landscape photography details
Pentax K-500 Landscape photography details
81
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
decent sized screen (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
megapixel count decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
no low pass filter
good ISO range (25,600)
exports RAW files
environment sealing
has dual storage slots
79
you can focus manually
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
good sized screen (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
good megapixels (16MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
great high ISO (51,600)
delivers RAW files
better than average battery life (710 CIPA)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Vlogging camera
Pentax K-500 as a Vlogging camera
79
selfie friendly display
touch screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
includes face detection autofocus
high res video (4096 x 2160 resolution)
comes with external microphone jack
30
image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect autofocus
video res high (1920 x 1080 pixels)
display isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have microphone support
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax K-500
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIPentax K-500
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Pentax K-500
Class Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level DSLR
Launched 2020-02-11 2013-11-27
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic IX PRIME M
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 23.7 x 15.7mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 372.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 16 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2
Peak resolution 5184 x 3888 4928 x 3264
Highest native ISO 25600 51600
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW files
Minimum enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focus
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Number of focus points 121 11
Cross focus points 121 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Total lenses 107 151
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of display 1,037 thousand dots 921 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech - TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.61x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/6000s
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shutter rate 60.0 frames/s 6.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Sync, Slow Sync+Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250s 1/180s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 25p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 50p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 25p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.1 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 580g (1.28 lb) 646g (1.42 lb)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score not tested 79
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.7
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.1
DXO Low light score not tested 1087
Other
Battery life 420 shots 710 shots
Battery style Battery Pack AA
Battery model BLH-1 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Two 1
Price at release $1,800 $600