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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90

Portability
67
Imaging
62
Features
96
Overall
75
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III front
 
Pentax Optio E90 front
Portability
94
Imaging
33
Features
11
Overall
24

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 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 Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 580g - 134 x 91 x 69mm
  • Launched February 2020
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-M1 II
Pentax E90
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 32-95mm (F3.1-5.9) lens
  • 145g - 102 x 59 x 25mm
  • Released January 2010
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 Overview

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax E90, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the E-M1 III (20MP) and E90 (10MP) and the E-M1 III (Four Thirds) and E90 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor size.

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The E-M1 III was launched 10 years later than the E90 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera.

Before diving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-M1 III grades against the E90 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 III over the Pentax E90

 E-M1 III E90 
ReleasedFebruary 2020January 2010More recent by 123 months
Manually focus Very accurate focusing
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Screen size3"2.7"Bigger screen (+0.3")
Screen resolution1037k230kClearer screen (+807k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax E90 over the Olympus E-M1 III

 E90 E-M1 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax E90

 E-M1 III E90 

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 Physical Comparison

For anyone who is looking to lug around your camera, you will want to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 III has external measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs) whilst the Pentax E90 has measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax E90 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view scale comparison of the E-M1 III vs the E90.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 size comparison

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 III and E90 is 67 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 Sensor Comparison

In many cases, it is very tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements purely by checking technical specs. The graphic here will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 III and E90.

As you have seen, both of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 III because of its bigger sensor will make shooting bokeh less difficult and the Olympus E-M1 III will give you more detail utilizing its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 III is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Portrait photography factors
Pentax E90 Portrait photography factors
77
has manual focus
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection focus
saves RAW files
19
no manual focus
manual exposure not possible
external flash not possible
MP count low (10MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Street photography with Pentax E90
78
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
comes with touch focus
weather sealing
above average high ISO (25,600)
47
fixed screen
no image stabilization
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 III
Sports photography with Pentax E90
81
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet mode (1/32,000 seconds)
high fps (60.0 fps)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (20MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
weather sealing
comes with phase detect auto focus
16
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
MP count low (10 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Travel photography camera
Pentax E90 as a Travel photography camera
79
weather sealing
connects via bluetooth
comes with touch focus
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly screen
50
flash built-in
missing Time Lapse mode
MP count low (10MP)
display is not selfie friendly
wide angle not fantastic (32mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax E90 as a Landscape photography camera
81
has manual focus
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
resolution is good (20 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
no anti aliasing filter
above average high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW files
weather sealing
two card slots
22
no manual focus
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not fantastic (32mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
manual exposure not possible
no image stabilization
MP count low (10 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
lack of RAW format
missing Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 III Vlogging advice
Pentax E90 Vlogging advice
79
selfie friendly screen
touch screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
comes with face detection focus
video res high (4096 x 2160 pxls)
does have external mic socket
22
wide angle not fantastic (32mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.1)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pxls)
missing mic jack
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Olympus E-M1 III vs Pentax E90 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 III and Pentax E90
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIIPentax Optio E90
General Information
Brand Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark III Pentax Optio E90
Category Pro Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2020-02-11 2010-01-25
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic IX Prime
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 27.7mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixels 10 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3 and 16:9
Highest Possible resolution 5184 x 3888 3648 x 2736
Maximum native ISO 25600 3200
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW support
Minimum enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Total focus points 121 3
Cross type focus points 121 -
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 32-95mm (3.0x)
Highest aperture - f/3.1-5.9
Macro focusing distance - 6cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.9
Screen
Range of display Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3" 2.7"
Resolution of display 1,037k dot 230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 4s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Fastest quiet shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shutter speed 60.0fps -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 3.50 m
Flash options Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual -
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/250s -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported 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 1280 x 720 (15 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
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 None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 580 grams (1.28 lbs) 145 grams (0.32 lbs)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 69mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.7") 102 x 59 x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 420 shots -
Battery format Battery Pack -
Battery ID BLH-1 2 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots (UHS-II on first slot) SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots Two Single
Retail cost $1,800 $100