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Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2

Portability
81
Imaging
52
Features
70
Overall
59
Olympus OM-D E-M5 front
 
Pentax ist DL2 front
Portability
69
Imaging
44
Features
33
Overall
39

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Key Specs

Olympus E-M5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 425g - 122 x 89 x 43mm
  • Launched April 2012
  • Refreshed by Olympus E-M5 II
Pentax ist DL2
(Full Review)
  • 6MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Display
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • Pentax KAF Mount
  • 565g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
  • Introduced January 2006
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Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Overview

Below, we are reviewing the Olympus E-M5 versus Pentax ist DL2, one being a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizeable difference between the image resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and ist DL2 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-M5 was brought out 6 years later than the ist DL2 and that is quite a large gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-M5 grades vs the ist DL2 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Pentax ist DL2

 E-M5 ist DL2 
IntroducedApril 2012January 2006Fresher by 77 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display dimension3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution610k210kClearer display (+400k dot)
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax ist DL2 over the Olympus E-M5

 ist DL2 E-M5 

Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Pentax ist DL2

 E-M5 ist DL2 
Focus manually More exact focusing
Selfie screen Lack of selfie screen

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Physical Comparison

If you're looking to carry your camera frequently, you'll need to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M5 provides physical dimensions of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") and a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Pentax ist DL2 has measurements of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-M5 versus Pentax ist DL2 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have attached at that time. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-M5 compared to the ist DL2.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-M5 and ist DL2 is 81 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Sensor Comparison

Often, it is hard to visualise the gap between sensor sizing simply by going over technical specs. The graphic here should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M5 and ist DL2.

As you have seen, both of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M5 due to its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-M5 will offer you extra detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop pics much more aggressively. The newer E-M5 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Portrait photography info
Pentax ist DL2 Portrait photography info
71
has manual focus
good MP (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has face detection autofocus
supports RAW files
50
has manual focus
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
no liveview feature
megapixel count low (6 megapixels)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Street photography details
Pentax ist DL2 Street photography details
82
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
provides focus by touch
environment sealing
great ISO range (25,600)
60
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
lighter than competition (565g)
no moving screen
no image stabilization
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M5 Sports photography information
Pentax ist DL2 Sports photography information
67
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
environment sealing
lacks phase detect autofocus
38
decent sensor size (APS-C)
supports phase detect auto focus
no liveview feature
low frames per second (3.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
megapixel count low (6 megapixels)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M5 as a Travel photography camera
Pentax ist DL2 as a Travel photography camera
66
environment sealing
provides focus by touch
good MP (16 megapixels)
does not have Timelapse function
does not posses selfie friendly display
52
lighter than competition (565 grams)
has built in flash
lack of Time Lapse recording
megapixel count low (6MP)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-M5
Landscape photography with Pentax ist DL2
73
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
good sized screen (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good MP (16MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
great ISO range (25,600)
supports RAW files
environment sealing
does not have Timelapse function
46
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Pentax KAF mount)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats
tiny screen (2.5 inches)
no liveview feature
no image stabilization
megapixel count low (6MP)
lack of Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M5 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax ist DL2 as a Vlogging camera
34
touchscreen functionality
built in image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
has face detection autofocus
high res video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not posses selfie friendly display
does not have external microphone support
22
lighter than competition (565g)
display is not selfie friendly
no image stabilization
video quality not great ( resolution)
lack of mic support
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DL2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M5 and Pentax ist DL2
 Olympus OM-D E-M5Pentax ist DL2
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M5 Pentax ist DL2
Type Advanced Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Launched 2012-04-30 2006-01-27
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VI -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.7mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 369.0mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 6MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 3008 x 2008
Highest native ISO 25600 3200
Minimum native ISO 200 200
RAW files
Minimum boosted ISO 100 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
Continuous AF
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points 35 5
Lens
Lens support Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF
Total lenses 107 151
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display diagonal 3 inch 2.5 inch
Display resolution 610 thousand dots 210 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch operation
Display technology Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor -
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical
Viewfinder resolution 1,440 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% 95%
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x 0.57x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 secs 1/4000 secs
Continuous shooting rate 9.0fps 3.0fps
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash distance no built-in flash -
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction
Hot shoe
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) -
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 -
Video file format H.264, Motion JPEG -
Mic support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Eye-Fi Connected No
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 425 grams (0.94 pounds) 565 grams (1.25 pounds)
Dimensions 122 x 89 x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") 125 x 93 x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 71 65
DXO Color Depth rating 22.8 22.9
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.3 11.1
DXO Low light rating 826 639
Other
Battery life 360 images -
Battery style Battery Pack -
Battery ID BLN-1 4 x AA
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/MMC card
Card slots Single Single
Cost at launch $799 -