Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-1

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-1, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and K-1 (36MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and K-1 (Full frame) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the K-1 and that is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a full comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-M1 matches up against the K-1 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Pentax K-1. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Pentax K-1 Gallery.

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 provides physical dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") accompanied by a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Pentax K-1 has dimensions of 137mm x 110mm x 86mm (5.4" x 4.3" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 1010 grams (2.23 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-1 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilizing at that time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the E-M1 compared to the K-1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and K-1 is 71 and 55 respectively.

Normally, it can be tough to visualise the contrast between sensor measurements just by looking at technical specs. The photograph underneath might give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and K-1.

As you can tell, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-1 will give you more detail due to its extra 20 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The older E-M1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.