Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax K20D

Below is a in depth assessment of the Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax K20D, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-P5 (16MP) and the K20D (15MP) is relatively well matched but the E-P5 (Four Thirds) and K20D (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-P5 was brought out 5 years later than the K20D and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-P5 scores against the K20D when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-P5 and Pentax K20D. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-P5 Gallery and Pentax K20D Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P5 comes with physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 37mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.5") with a weight of 420 grams (0.93 lbs) whilst the Pentax K20D has measurements of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax K20D in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-P5 versus the K20D.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P5 and K20D is 85 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to see the contrast between sensor measurements merely by reading through technical specs. The photograph here should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P5 and K20D.

As you can tell, both of those cameras provide different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P5 due to its tinier sensor will make shooting shallower DOF trickier and the Olympus E-P5 will resolve greater detail having its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots more aggressively. The fresher E-P5 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.