Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-x

On this page, we are comparing the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-x, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and K-x (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and K-x (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was unveiled 3 years after the K-x which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-x being a Compact SLR camera.

Before diving into a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple summary of how the E-M1 scores vs the K-x with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Pentax K-x. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Pentax K-x Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 offers outer dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") having a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Pentax K-x has measurements of 123mm x 92mm x 68mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-x in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Below is a front view proportions comparison of the E-M1 compared to the K-x.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and K-x is 71 and 69 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor dimensions only by looking at technical specs. The image here will offer you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and K-x.

As you have seen, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M1 having a tinier sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-M1 will resolve extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images more aggressively. The newer E-M1 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.