Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K100D

Here is a extended assessment of the Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K100D, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-P1 (12MP) and K100D (6MP) and the E-P1 (Four Thirds) and K100D (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-P1 was unveiled 2 years later than the K100D and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-P1 scores against the K100D with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P1 and Pentax K100D. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P1 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry your camera often, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-P1 features outside measurements of 121mm x 70mm x 36mm (4.8" x 2.8" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 355 grams (0.78 lbs) whilst the Pentax K100D has proportions of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") and a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-P1 vs Pentax K100D in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have chosen at that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the E-P1 compared to the K100D.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P1 and K100D is 86 and 64 respectively.

Typically, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing purely by researching technical specs. The visual underneath should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-P1 and K100D.

As you can tell, both cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-P1 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus E-P1 will provide you with greater detail having an extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images a little more aggressively. The younger E-P1 will have an advantage in sensor tech.