Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500
67 Imaging
62 Features
96 Overall
75
64 Imaging
58 Features
70 Overall
62
Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Key Specs
(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
(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
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.
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or banThe 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.
Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III & Pentax K-500. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 III Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Pentax K-500
E-M1 III | K-500 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | February 2020 | November 2013 | More modern by 76 months | |
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating screen | |
Screen resolution | 1037k | 921k | Crisper 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 dimensions | 3" | 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.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.
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 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 Screen and ViewFinder
Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Street Comparison
Sports Comparison
Travel Comparison
Landscape Comparison
Vlogging Comparison
Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax K-500 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III | Pentax 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 |