Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K-50

Following is a comprehensive review of the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax K-50, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and K-50 (16MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and K-50 (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was brought out 5 years before the K-50 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-50 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going in to a full comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-P1 matches up against the K-50 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Pentax K-50. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Pentax K-50 Gallery.

When you are looking to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to consider 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") along with a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) while the Pentax K-50 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).

Check out the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax K-50 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing during that time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-P1 compared to the K-50.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and K-50 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very difficult to visualize the gap in sensor sizes merely by looking through specifications. The pic below should provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and K-50.

To sum up, both cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-P1 because of its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-50 will provide you with greater detail having its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos far more aggressively. The more aged E-P1 will be behind with regard to sensor tech.