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Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30

Portability
80
Imaging
53
Features
84
Overall
65
Olympus OM-D E-M5 II front
 
Pentax K-30 front
Portability
63
Imaging
57
Features
66
Overall
60

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 469g - 124 x 85 x 45mm
  • Announced February 2015
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-M5
  • New Model is Olympus E-M5 III
Pentax K-30
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800 (Increase to 25600)
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/6000s Max Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 650g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
  • Introduced October 2012
  • Later Model is Pentax K-50
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Overview

Below is a thorough comparison of the Olympus E-M5 II and Pentax K-30, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-M5 II (16MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is fairly similar but the E-M5 II (Four Thirds) and K-30 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M5 II was unveiled 2 years later than the K-30 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before diving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a brief introduction of how the E-M5 II scores versus the K-30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 II over the Pentax K-30

 E-M5 II K-30 
IntroducedFebruary 2015October 2012More recent by 28 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k921kSharper display (+116k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-30 over the Olympus E-M5 II

 K-30 E-M5 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 II and Pentax K-30

 E-M5 II K-30 
Focus manually More exact focus
Display dimensions3"3"Equal display sizing

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Physical Comparison

For those who are planning to lug around your camera, you have to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 II has got physical measurements of 124mm x 85mm x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") and a weight of 469 grams (1.03 lbs) while the Pentax K-30 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-M5 II and Pentax K-30 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you select during that time. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 II and the K-30.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 size comparison

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 II and K-30 is 80 and 63 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Sensor Comparison

Usually, it is very difficult to see the difference between sensor measurements simply by going over specifications. The visual underneath will help give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 II and K-30.

To sum up, each of the cameras provide the same MP but not the same sensor measurements. The E-M5 II has the tinier sensor which should make obtaining shallow depth of field trickier. The newer E-M5 II is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Portrait photography highlights
Pentax K-30 Portrait photography highlights
71
focusing manually
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports face detect focusing
supports RAW files
74
you can focus manually
decent MP (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
features face detection focus
delivers RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Street photography advice
Pentax K-30 Street photography advice
82
screen articulates fully
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
offers touch focus
weather sealing
very good high ISO (25,600)
68
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
weather proofing
no moving screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II Sports photography information
Pentax K-30 Sports photography information
65
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
quiet shooting (1/16,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports tracking focus
weather sealing
not so great battery pack (310 shots)
lacks phase detect AF
67
great max shutter speed (1/6,000s)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
features tracking autofocus
weather proofing
comes with phase detect auto focus
slow fps (6.0 frames per second)
bad battery life (410 shots)
Photography Glossary

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-M5 II
Travel photography with Pentax K-30
74
weather sealing
offers touch focus
good resolution (16MP)
selfie friendly screen
not so great battery pack (310 shots)
60
weather proofing
decent MP (16 megapixels)
flash built-in
bad battery life (410 CIPA)
screen is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M5 II as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax K-30 as a Landscape photography camera
74
focusing manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inches)
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good resolution (16MP)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
very good high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW files
weather sealing
not so great battery pack (310 shots)
73
you can focus manually
change lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen is a decent size (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16 megapixels)
nice sensor size (APS-C)
delivers RAW formats
weather proofing
bad battery life (410 CIPA)
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-M5 II
Vlogging with Pentax K-30
82
selfie friendly screen
touch screen
image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
supports face detect focusing
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
includes mic port
30
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
features face detection focus
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
screen is not selfie friendly
missing external mic port
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Olympus E-M5 II vs Pentax K-30 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 II and Pentax K-30
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIPentax K-30
General Information
Brand Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 II Pentax K-30
Class Advanced Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Announced 2015-02-06 2012-10-29
Body design SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VII Prime M
Sensor type MOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.7 x 15.7mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 372.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 16 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Peak resolution 4608 x 3456 4928 x 3264
Highest native ISO 25600 12800
Highest enhanced ISO - 25600
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW files
Min enhanced ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 81 11
Cross type focus points - 9
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Amount of lenses 107 151
Crop factor 2.1 1.5
Screen
Range of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dot 921 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology - TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dot -
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.61x
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/6000s
Fastest silent shutter speed 1/16000s -
Continuous shutter speed 10.0 frames per second 6.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye,Slow Sync, Slow Sync+ Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync 1/250s 1/180s
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p), 640 x 480 (30p) 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG MPEG-4, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
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 469 gr (1.03 pounds) 650 gr (1.43 pounds)
Physical dimensions 124 x 85 x 45mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 1.8") 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 73 79
DXO Color Depth rating 23.0 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.4 13.0
DXO Low light rating 896 1129
Other
Battery life 310 photos 410 photos
Form of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 D-LI109,4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse shooting
Storage media SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Price at release $699 $525