Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax H90

Here, we are looking at the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax H90, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference between the image resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and H90 (12MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and H90 (1/2.3") boast totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was announced 3 years later than the H90 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax H90 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple overview of how the E-M1 grades against the H90 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Pentax Optio H90. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Pentax H90 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 enjoys 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) and the Pentax H90 has specifications of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax H90 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you choose at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M1 versus the H90.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and H90 is 71 and 93 respectively.

In many cases, it's difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizing just by going over specifications. The visual below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and H90.

Plainly, the two cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-M1 using its larger sensor will make shooting bokeh easier and the Olympus E-M1 will offer extra detail with its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-M1 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.