Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K-5 II

The following is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax K-5 II, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and K-5 II (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and K-5 II (APS-C) use different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was released 4 years prior to the K-5 II which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going in to a in-depth comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-P1 grades against the K-5 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Pentax K-5 II. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to travel with your camera frequently, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P1 enjoys external dimensions of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax K-5 II has sizing of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") along with a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-P1 against the K-5 II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and K-5 II is 86 and 60 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to imagine the difference in sensor dimensions just by researching specifications. The image underneath will offer you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P1 and K-5 II.

Plainly, both the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 featuring a smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-5 II will result in extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also enable you to crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.