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Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1

Portability
80
Imaging
62
Features
88
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M5 III front
 
Pentax Optio S1 front
Portability
93
Imaging
37
Features
31
Overall
34

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5 III
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 414g - 125 x 85 x 50mm
  • Launched October 2019
  • Succeeded the Olympus E-M5 II
  • Updated by OM System OM-5
Pentax S1
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 157g - 114 x 58 x 28mm
  • Released March 2011
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Overview

Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-M5 III and Pentax S1, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference among the resolutions of the E-M5 III (20MP) and S1 (14MP) and the E-M5 III (Four Thirds) and S1 (1/2.3") posses different sensor size.

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The E-M5 III was launched 8 years later than the S1 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-M5 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax S1 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a thorough comparison, here is a simple synopsis of how the E-M5 III scores versus the S1 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 III over the Pentax S1

 E-M5 III S1 
ReleasedOctober 2019March 2011Fresher by 106 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display dimensions3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution1040k230kSharper display (+810k dot)
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax S1 over the Olympus E-M5 III

 S1 E-M5 III 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 III and Pentax S1

 E-M5 III S1 
Manually focus More precise focusing

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Physical Comparison

For those who are aiming to carry your camera frequently, you'll have to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-M5 III has physical dimensions of 125mm x 85mm x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") along with a weight of 414 grams (0.91 lbs) and the Pentax S1 has sizing of 114mm x 58mm x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1") along with a weight of 157 grams (0.35 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M5 III and Pentax S1 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-M5 III versus the S1.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability rating of the E-M5 III and S1 is 80 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Sensor Comparison

Generally, it can be hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing only by looking through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 III and S1.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 III due to its larger sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF simpler and the Olympus E-M5 III will provide you with more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics more aggressively. The fresher E-M5 III should have an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M5 III
Portrait photography with Pentax S1
77
has manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
offers face detect focus
saves RAW formats
35
manual focus
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
no manual control
external flash not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Street photography camera
Pentax S1 as a Street photography camera
83
screen can move to multiple angles
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
boasts touch focus
environment proofing
great high ISO (25,600)
56
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
screen is fixed
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-M5 III
Sports photography with Pentax S1
76
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000s)
silent shooting (1/32,000s)
high frames per second (30.0 fps)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor resolution is decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
offers tracking focus
environment proofing
sensor has phase detect auto focus
terrible battery (310 per charge)
39
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
offers tracking focus
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III as a Travel photography camera
Pentax S1 as a Travel photography camera
77
environment proofing
supports bluetooth
boasts touch focus
sensor resolution is decent (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly display
terrible battery (310 CIPA)
64
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
has built in flash
rather wide (28mm)
missing Time Lapse recording
does not posses selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-M5 III
Landscape photography with Pentax S1
77
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is decent (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor resolution is decent (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
great high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
terrible battery (310 per charge)
42
manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
tiny screen (2.7 inches)
no manual control
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
missing Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 III Vlogging information
Pentax S1 Vlogging information
84
selfie friendly display
built-in touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
offers face detect focus
great video quality (4096 x 2160 resolution)
includes mic support
28
rather wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
does not posses selfie friendly screen
video res low (1280 x 720 pixels)
missing mic support
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Olympus E-M5 III vs Pentax S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 III and Pentax S1
 Olympus OM-D E-M5 IIIPentax Optio S1
General Information
Brand Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 III Pentax Optio S1
Class Advanced Mirrorless Small Sensor Compact
Launched 2019-10-17 2011-03-02
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VIII -
Sensor type MOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 14 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9
Peak resolution 5184 x 3888 4288 x 3216
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW files
Minimum enhanced ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Total focus points 121 9
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens zoom range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Largest aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focusing distance - 1cm
Total lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 1,040k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Screen technology - TFT color LCD with Anti-reflective coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic None
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.68x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1500 seconds
Fastest silent shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shutter rate 30.0 frames/s 1.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance no built-in flash 3.90 m
Flash modes Auto, redeye, fill, off, redeye slow sync, slow sync, 2nd-curtain slow sync, manual Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 414 grams (0.91 lbs) 157 grams (0.35 lbs)
Physical dimensions 125 x 85 x 50mm (4.9" x 3.3" x 2.0") 114 x 58 x 28mm (4.5" x 2.3" x 1.1")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating not tested not tested
DXO Color Depth rating not tested not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating not tested not tested
DXO Low light rating not tested not tested
Other
Battery life 310 shots 260 shots
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLN-1 D-LI92
Self timer Yes (2 or 10 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II supported) SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Card slots Single Single
Cost at release $1,199 $174