Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2
81 Imaging
51 Features
70 Overall
58


64 Imaging
63 Features
82 Overall
70
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
- Revealed April 2012
- Replacement is Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 51200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/6000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 678g - 123 x 91 x 73mm
- Launched February 2015
- Earlier Model is Pentax K-S1

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Overview
Below is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-M5 and Pentax K-S2, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-M5 (16MP) and the K-S2 (20MP) is very comparable but the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and K-S2 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

The E-M5 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the K-S2 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-S2 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-M5 grades against the K-S2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Pentax K-S2. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Pentax K-S2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Pentax K-S2
E-M5 | K-S2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Touch display | ![]() | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-S2 over the Olympus E-M5
K-S2 | E-M5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Launched | February 2015 | ![]() | April 2012 | More recent by 33 months |
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 610k | Sharper display (+311k dot) |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Pentax K-S2
E-M5 | K-S2 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very exact focusing | ||
Display size | 3" | ![]() | 3" | Same display dimensions |
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 offers outer dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S2 has measurements of 123mm x 91mm x 73mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.9") having a weight of 678 grams (1.49 lbs).
Check out the Olympus E-M5 and Pentax K-S2 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is a front view measurement comparison of the E-M5 against the K-S2.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and K-S2 is 81 and 64 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor measurements simply by going through specifications. The graphic below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and K-S2.
To sum up, both cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field tougher and the Pentax K-S2 will provide extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop images a good deal more aggressively. The older E-M5 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-S2 Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Pentax K-S2 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Pentax K-S2 |
Category | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Revealed | 2012-04-30 | 2015-02-10 |
Physical type | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Chip | TruePic VI | PRIME MII |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16MP | 20MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Maximum resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5472 x 3648 |
Maximum native ISO | 25600 | 51200 |
Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW pictures | ||
Minimum boosted ISO | 100 | - |
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
Autofocus touch | ||
Autofocus continuous | ||
Autofocus single | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Multi area autofocus | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Total focus points | 35 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
Amount of lenses | 107 | 151 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Tilting | Fully Articulated |
Screen sizing | 3 inch | 3 inch |
Screen resolution | 610k dots | 921k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen technology | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | - |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dots | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.64x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/6000s |
Continuous shooting rate | 9.0 frames/s | 5.4 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Built-in flash | ||
Flash distance | no built-in flash | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, flash on, flash on + redeye reduction, slow sync, trailing curtain sync, manual flash |
Hot shoe | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash synchronize | 1/250s | - |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment metering | ||
Average metering | ||
Spot metering | ||
Partial metering | ||
AF area metering | ||
Center weighted metering | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p) |
Maximum video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | H.264, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Built-In |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 425 gr (0.94 pounds) | 678 gr (1.49 pounds) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 123 x 91 x 73mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 71 | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | 826 | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 pictures | 410 pictures |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | BLN-1 | D-LI109 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 secs) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Pricing at launch | $799 | $581 |