Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2
81 Imaging
51 Features
70 Overall
58
68 Imaging
43 Features
33 Overall
39
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Key Specs
(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
- Introduced April 2012
- Successor is Olympus E-M5 II
(Full Review)
- 6MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 200 - 3200
- Pentax KAF Mount
- 605g - 125 x 93 x 66mm
- Launched August 2005
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Overview
Here, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-M5 versus Pentax ist DS2, former being a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-M5 (16MP) and ist DS2 (6MP) and the E-M5 (Four Thirds) and ist DS2 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideThe E-M5 was brought out 6 years later than the ist DS2 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M5 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DS2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before going straight to a in depth comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-M5 grades versus the ist DS2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Gallery
Following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M5 & Pentax ist DS2. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-M5 Gallery & Pentax ist DS2 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-M5 over the Pentax ist DS2
| E-M5 | ist DS2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | April 2012 | August 2005 | More recent by 82 months | |
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Screen size | 3" | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 610k | 210k | Crisper screen (+400k dot) | |
| Touch friendly screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax ist DS2 over the Olympus E-M5
| ist DS2 | E-M5 |
|---|
Common features in the Olympus E-M5 and Pentax ist DS2
| E-M5 | ist DS2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Dial exact focusing | |||
| Selfie screen | Neither provides selfie screen |
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Physical Comparison
When you are intending to lug around your camera frequently, you need to take into account its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-M5 provides exterior measurements of 122mm x 89mm x 43mm (4.8" x 3.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 425 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Pentax ist DS2 has proportions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") along with a weight of 605 grams (1.33 lbs).
See the Olympus E-M5 versus Pentax ist DS2 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Underneath is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-M5 vs the ist DS2.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-M5 and ist DS2 is 81 and 68 respectively.
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Sensor Comparison
Often, it can be tough to envision the gap in sensor measurements merely by looking through specs. The photograph underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M5 and ist DS2.
As you can plainly see, both cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-M5 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF tougher and the Olympus E-M5 will result in greater detail having its extra 10 Megapixels. Higher resolution will enable you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The newer E-M5 will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-M5 vs Pentax ist DS2 Specifications
| Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Pentax ist DS2 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus OM-D E-M5 | Pentax ist DS2 |
| Class | Advanced Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Introduced | 2012-04-30 | 2005-08-22 |
| Body design | 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 | 16 megapixels | 6 megapixels |
| 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 |
| Lowest native ISO | 200 | 200 |
| RAW support | ||
| Lowest boosted ISO | 100 | - |
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Autofocus continuous | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Autofocus center weighted | ||
| Multi area autofocus | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 11 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount type | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF |
| Total lenses | 107 | 151 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of display | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Display size | 3" | 2.5" |
| Resolution of display | 610k dot | 210k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Display technology | Touch control in electrostatic capacitance type OLED monitor | - |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic | Optical |
| Viewfinder resolution | 1,440k dot | - |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.64x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
| Continuous shooting speed | 9.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash distance | no built-in flash | - |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync (2), Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 1/250 secs | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment metering | ||
| Average metering | ||
| Spot metering | ||
| Partial metering | ||
| AF area metering | ||
| Center weighted metering | ||
| 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 format | H.264, Motion JPEG | - |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| 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 seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 425g (0.94 lbs) | 605g (1.33 lbs) |
| Physical 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 | 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 images | - |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | - |
| Battery ID | BLN-1 | 4 x AA |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/MMC card |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Pricing at launch | $799 | - |