Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K-7

Below, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax K-7, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the K-7 (15MP) is pretty comparable but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and K-7 (APS-C) use different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-P1 was launched 2 months prior to the K-7 and they are both of a similar age. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-7 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving through a full comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-P1 grades against the K-7 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Pentax K-7. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Pentax K-7 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera regularly, you should consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 has got exterior 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) whilst the Pentax K-7 has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 750 grams (1.65 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P1 and Pentax K-7 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you use at that time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-P1 against the K-7.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-P1 and K-7 is 86 and 60 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements merely by checking out specifications. The visual below may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P1 and K-7.

Plainly, each of the cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-P1 due to its smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-7 will provide greater detail utilizing its extra 3 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively.