Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-7

Let's examine more closely at the Olympus E-M1 versus Pentax K-7, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the K-7 (15MP) is fairly well matched but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and K-7 (APS-C) feature different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was launched 4 years later than the K-7 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a short overview of how the E-M1 scores versus the K-7 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Pentax K-7. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Pentax K-7 Gallery.

For those who are looking to carry your camera frequently, you will have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 provides exterior measurements of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") along with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Pentax K-7 has dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M1 versus Pentax K-7 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-M1 compared to the K-7.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and K-7 is 71 and 60 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualize the contrast between sensor sizing merely by looking at technical specs. The visual underneath should give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M1 and K-7.

As you can tell, the two cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Olympus E-M1 will resolve more detail utilizing its extra 1 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics much more aggressively. The fresher E-M1 should have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.