Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K-30

Below, we are comparing the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax K-30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and K-30 (APS-C) possess different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was unveiled 4 years prior to the K-30 and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a more detailed comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-P1 grades vs the K-30 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Pentax K-30. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Pentax K-30 Gallery.

If you are looking to carry your camera regularly, you'll have to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 comes with external measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-30 has sizing of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax K-30 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is the front view over all size comparison of the E-P1 and the K-30.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P1 and K-30 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizing only by going through technical specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and K-30.

As you have seen, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-30 will show extra detail having an extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The older E-P1 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.