Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-r

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-r, one is a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and K-r (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and K-r (APS-C) offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-M1 was announced 2 years after the K-r which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-r being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-M1 grades versus the K-r in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Pentax K-r. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Pentax K-r Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera often, you will need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M1 provides outer 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) whilst the Pentax K-r has sizing of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-r in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 against the K-r.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 and K-r is 71 and 67 respectively.

Generally, its tough to picture the contrast in sensor sizes purely by looking through a spec sheet. The pic underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and K-r.

Clearly, each of these cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 with its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus E-M1 will result in extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The newer E-M1 should have an edge in sensor innovation.