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


69 Imaging
52 Features
47 Overall
50
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x 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
- Introduced April 2012
- Refreshed by Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 12MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400 (Boost to 12800)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/6000s Max Shutter
- 1280 x 720 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 580g - 123 x 92 x 68mm
- Introduced December 2009

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x Overview
Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and K-x (12MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and K-x (APS-C) boast different sensor sizes.

The E-M5 was manufactured 2 years later than the K-x and that is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-x being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-M5 matches up against the K-x with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x Gallery
Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus OM-D E-M5 and Pentax K-x. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-M5 Gallery and Pentax K-x Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Pentax K-x
E-M5 | K-x | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | April 2012 | ![]() | December 2009 | Fresher by 29 months |
Screen type | Tilting | ![]() | Fixed | Tilting screen |
Screen size | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.3") |
Screen resolution | 610k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+380k dot) |
Touch screen | ![]() | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-x over the Olympus E-M5
K-x | E-M5 |
---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Pentax K-x
E-M5 | K-x | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focusing | ||
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither has selfie screen |
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x Physical Comparison
For anybody who is aiming to carry your camera often, you'll need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M5 has outside measurements 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-x has dimensions of 123mm x 92mm x 68mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 580 grams (1.28 lbs).
Take a look at the Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-M5 versus the K-x.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and K-x is 81 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x Sensor Comparison
Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing merely by reading through specifications. The visual below should offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-M5 and K-x.
To sum up, both the cameras come with different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Olympus E-M5 will give you extra detail due to its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots a good deal more aggressively. The younger E-M5 should have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.

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


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax K-x Specifications
Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Pentax K-x | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand | Olympus | Pentax |
Model | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Pentax K-x |
Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Entry-Level DSLR |
Introduced | 2012-04-30 | 2009-12-23 |
Body design | SLR-style mirrorless | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | TruePic VI | Prime |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm |
Sensor surface area | 224.9mm² | 372.9mm² |
Sensor resolution | 16 megapixel | 12 megapixel |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Max resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 4288 x 2848 |
Max native ISO | 25600 | 6400 |
Max enhanced ISO | - | 12800 |
Min native ISO | 200 | 100 |
RAW data | ||
Min enhanced ISO | 100 | - |
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 | ||
Number of focus points | 35 | 11 |
Lens | ||
Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
Total lenses | 107 | 151 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 3 inch | 2.7 inch |
Screen resolution | 610k dot | 230k dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch functionality | ||
Screen technology | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | TFT LCD monitor |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dot | - |
Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 96 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.57x |
Features | ||
Minimum shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
Fastest shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/6000s |
Continuous shutter speed | 9.0fps | 5.0fps |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | no built-in flash | 16.00 m |
Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear curtain, Wireless |
External flash | ||
AE bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Fastest flash sync | 1/250s | 1/180s |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment | ||
Average | ||
Spot | ||
Partial | ||
AF area | ||
Center weighted | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (24 fps), 640 x 416 (24 fps) |
Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1280x720 |
Video format | H.264, Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Mic jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 425g (0.94 lbs) | 580g (1.28 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") | 123 x 92 x 68mm (4.8" x 3.6" x 2.7") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall score | 71 | 72 |
DXO Color Depth score | 22.8 | 22.8 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 12.3 | 12.5 |
DXO Low light score | 826 | 811 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 360 images | 1900 images |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLN-1 | 4 x AA |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC card |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Cost at release | $799 | $600 |