Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II
71 Imaging
52 Features
85 Overall
65


60 Imaging
57 Features
82 Overall
67
Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 497g - 130 x 94 x 63mm
- Released October 2013
- Successor is Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Push to 51200)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 760g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
- Launched June 2013
- Previous Model is Pentax K-5

Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Overview
Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-M1 versus Pentax K-5 II, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is fairly comparable but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.

The E-M1 was launched 5 months after the K-5 II so they are of a similar generation. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting right into a in-depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-M1 matches up versus the K-5 II in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Gallery
Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Pentax K-5 II. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Pentax K-5 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 over the Pentax K-5 II
E-M1 | K-5 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting display |
Display resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 921k | Sharper display (+116k dot) |
Touch friendly display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-5 II over the Olympus E-M1
K-5 II | E-M1 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-5 II
E-M1 | K-5 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | October 2013 | ![]() | June 2013 | Same generation |
Manual focus | ![]() | More exact focusing | ||
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same display measurements |
Selfie screen | ![]() | No selfie screen |
Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Physical Comparison
If you are intending to travel with your camera, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 has got physical dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-M1 versus Pentax K-5 II in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have during that time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-M1 and the K-5 II.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and K-5 II is 71 and 60 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Sensor Comparison
Normally, it can be difficult to visualize the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by checking out a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and K-5 II.
As you can see, each of these cameras feature the identical megapixels but different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 has the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field tougher.

Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-5 II Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Pentax K-5 II | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Manufacturer | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M1 | Pentax K-5 II |
Class | Pro Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
Released | 2013-10-28 | 2013-06-04 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePIC VII | Prime II |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 372.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Highest resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4928 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 25600 | 12800 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 51200 |
Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW format | ||
Lowest boosted ISO | - | 80 |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detect autofocus | ||
Contract detect autofocus | ||
Phase detect autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 81 | 11 |
Cross type focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
Total lenses | 107 | 151 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Display type | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
Display resolution | 1,037 thousand dot | 921 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch function | ||
Display tech | - | TFT LCD monitor |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder resolution | 2,360 thousand dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.74x | 0.61x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Highest shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/8000 secs |
Continuous shooting speed | 10.0fps | 7.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Flash Auto, 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, High speed, Rear curtain and Wireless |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Highest flash sync | 1/320 secs | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (25 fps), 1280 x 720 (25, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone input | ||
Headphone input | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Built-In | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 497 grams (1.10 pounds) | 760 grams (1.68 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 130 x 94 x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") | 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 73 | 82 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 23.0 | 23.8 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.7 | 14.1 |
DXO Low light rating | 757 | 1235 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 350 images | 980 images |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | D-LI90 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Price at launch | $799 | $830 |