Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K-r

Let's take a closer look at the Olympus E-P1 versus Pentax K-r, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-P1 (12MP) and the K-r (12MP) is relatively similar but the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and K-r (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-P1 was announced 19 months earlier than the K-r which makes them a generation away from each other. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-r being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go into a step-by-step comparison, here is a short summary of how the E-P1 grades versus the K-r in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P1 & Pentax K-r. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P1 Gallery & Pentax K-r Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-P1 enjoys outer dimensions 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-r has dimensions of 125mm x 97mm x 68mm (4.9" x 3.8" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 598 grams (1.32 lbs).

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

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-P1 and the K-r.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and K-r is 86 and 67 respectively.

Often, it's hard to imagine the contrast between sensor dimensions just by going over specs. The image here will give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P1 and K-r.

As you can plainly see, both of those cameras have the same MP albeit different sensor dimensions. The E-P1 uses the tinier sensor which will make achieving shallow DOF more difficult. The more aged E-P1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.