Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax KP

Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax KP: An In-Depth Camera Comparison for the Discerning Photographer

When I first laid hands on the Olympus E-P5 and the Pentax KP, I knew I’d find myself at a fascinating crossroads - a choice between a sleek, vintage-inspired Micro Four Thirds mirrorless and a rugged, feature-rich APS-C DSLR. Both cameras come from storied brands with distinct legacies, yet they cater to different photography philosophies and styles. Drawing from years of experience with hundreds of cameras, including prolonged field testing across myriad genres, I’m excited to walk you through everything these two cameras bring to the table - the good, the not-so-good, and who exactly should consider each.

Let’s get started by placing these cameras side-by-side to appreciate their physical and ergonomic differences.

First Impressions: Size, Handling & Build

One of the most immediate differences is size and weight: The Olympus E-P5 is a compact mirrorless with a rangefinder-style body, measuring 122x69x37 mm and weighing just 420 grams. The Pentax KP, a mid-sized DSLR, is substantially larger (132x101x76 mm) and heavier at 703 grams. This difference is not just about portability - it translates into very distinct handling experiences.

The E-P5’s smaller footprint and lighter weight make it a delight for street photographers or travelers who want to keep their kit minimal and discreet. The build, while stylish and retro-modern, doesn't offer weather sealing - a key consideration if you shoot outdoors in tough conditions.

The KP, on the other hand, boasts a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body that’s built to endure rain and dust, with significant grip heftiness. As someone who often shoots landscapes and wildlife in varied environments, I appreciate a solid, robust body. This ruggedness, however, comes at the cost of portability, making it less ideal for urban strolling or minimalist travel.

Ergonomics-wise, the Pentax’s DSLR design offers deeper, more substantial grips and more physical controls easily accessible without diving into menus - a boon for fast-paced situations like sports or wildlife photography. The E-P5’s smaller, slimmer design still surprises with a thoughtful button layout and customizable rear dials but can feel cramped for larger hands during extended shoots.

Take a look at the design and control layout from the top to see how these cameras strategically differ there.

The Olympus E-P5 boasts a tidy top plate with elegant, tactile dials for shutter speed and exposure compensation. Meanwhile, the Pentax KP’s top view displays a more traditional DSLR control setup with dedicated dials and a mode selector, along with customizable function buttons - a photographer’s playground for quick adjustments.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Sensor tech is foundational for image quality, affecting dynamic range, noise performance, and depth of field capabilities. The Olympus E-P5 uses a 16MP Four Thirds sensor (17.3x13 mm), while the Pentax KP employs a 24MP APS-C sensor (23.5x15.6 mm) - a notably larger sensor area.

From my extensive testing, the Pentax KP’s larger sensor size, combined with a higher resolution of 24MP, delivers a distinct advantage in detail capture and low-light performance. The increased sensor area means larger photosites capable of capturing more light, which translates to cleaner images at high ISO values, and richer tonal gradations.

The E-P5, despite its smaller Four Thirds sensor and somewhat lower 16MP resolution, still offers respectable image quality, especially in well-lit situations. Its sensor delivers a DxO Mark overall score of 72, including 22.8 bits of color depth and 12.4 stops of dynamic range - impressive for its class and age. However, its low-light ISO performance starts to degrade noticeably beyond ISO 800, meaning noise becomes more problematic compared to the KP.

In practical terms:

• Portraits: The Pentax KP’s larger sensor provides more creamy bokeh and shallower depth of field potential for flattering skin tones and background separation.
• Landscapes: The additional resolution and dynamic range on KP better reveal subtle gradations and fine detail.
• Night/Nature: The KP holds an edge with cleaner images at high ISO, improving astro and night photography outcomes.

That said, the E-P5 benefits from an excellent 5-axis sensor stabilization system, which compensates astonishingly well for camera shake - a major plus for handheld shooting in challenging light.

User Interface: Screen, Viewfinder, and Touch Controls

The E-P5 features a 3-inch, 1037k-dot capacitive touchscreen that tilts - enabling flexible shooting angles and intuitive touch focus and menu navigation. From my experience, this touch responsiveness makes it a joy for beginners and on-the-go shooters who want to quickly select focus points or review images.

The Pentax KP has a 3-inch, 921k-dot tilting LCD, which while useful for composing creative angles, lacks touchscreen capability. For pros and enthusiasts familiar with physical button layouts, I’ve found this traditional interface less of a hindrance, especially since the KP offers a crisp, bright optical pentaprism viewfinder with 100% coverage and 0.63x magnification. The Olympus E-P5 lacks a built-in EVF, relying instead on an optional hot-shoe-mounted electronic viewfinder - a compromise for photographers who prefer eye-level composition.

For action and street shooters who prefer a clear optical viewfinder free from lag, the Pentax KP shines. In contrast, the E-P5’s touch interface and reliance on LCD may appeal more to travel photographers who benefit from lighter setups and a modern touchscreen experience.

Autofocus Performance and Shooting Speed

Both cameras deploy contrast-detection AF systems - the Olympus using 35 focus points, and the Pentax with 27 points (25 cross-type). In real-life testing, the Olympus E-P5’s autofocus felt snappier and more reliable in still subjects, thanks to refined on-sensor processing, especially aided by face detection. The addition of touch AF helps quickly set focus points.

The Pentax KP’s autofocus, while solid for a DSLR without phase-detection on sensor, sometimes struggles in low-contrast or dim environments, though it benefits from 25 cross-type points offering improved accuracy for moving subjects. Still, I’ve observed a slight lag in tracking fast wildlife and sports action compared to other professional DSLRs.

Speaking of speed, the E-P5 edges out the KP in continuous shooting with 9 fps versus 7 fps on the Pentax. This higher fps, combined with the efficient sensor stabilization, makes the Olympus optimal for capturing fleeting expressions or street moments.

Lens Ecosystems & Compatibility

Lens choices weigh heavily in a camera purchase, and here the difference is stark.

• Olympus E-P5 leverages the Micro Four Thirds mount, which enjoys exceptional lens availability and innovation - over 107 lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, and third-party manufacturers like Sigma and Tokina. This includes lightweight primes and versatile zooms ideally suited for travel, street, and macro photography.

• The Pentax KP uses the Pentax KAF2 mount, with an expansive lens catalog including 151 lenses spanning decades. Pentax’s primes, renowned for ruggedness and image quality, cover a wide focal range suitable for sports, wildlife telephotos, and macro lenses with excellent stabilization features compatible with the KP’s in-body system.

If portability and variety in compact optics rank high, the E-P5’s Micro Four Thirds ecosystem offers great flexibility. For photographers invested in DSLR performance and specialized optics, particularly telephoto and fast prime lenses, the KP’s mount provides a more traditional and diverse lens arsenal.

Build Quality and Environmental Resistance

As mentioned earlier, the Pentax KP stands out for its weather sealing and magnesium alloy build - a significant advantage if you work outdoors professionally or in adverse climates. It’s splash, dust, and cold-resistant (down to -10°C) - a feature not common in this price range.

The Olympus E-P5 lacks any form of environmental sealing but compensates with a stylish, durable chassis and splash/ dust protection only when paired with specific lenses. For casual shooting or controlled conditions, the E-P5's build feels solid and premium, but I wouldn’t recommend pushing it into harsh weather.

Video Capabilities

Both cameras deliver Full HD (1920x1080) video, with the Pentax KP supporting 60i and 30p frame rates and Olympus offering 30p.

• The E-P5 records H.264 videos, offering good manual exposure control and the advantage of in-body stabilization which helps smooth handheld clips.
• The KP also uses H.264 with standard DSLRs video features. Notably, the KP has a microphone input port, a great benefit for enthusiasts who want better audio quality - the Olympus lacks this.

Neither camera supports 4K or advanced video features, so video is an ancillary capability rather than a core strength for both.

Battery Life and Storage

The Pentax KP edges out slightly with a rated 390 shots per charge compared to the Olympus E-P5’s 330 shots. Both use proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion packs and support a single SD card slot (SD/SDHC/SDXC).

For extended outings or travel shoots, neither camera delivers marathon endurance, so bringing extra batteries is essential. Note the Pentax KP supports UHS-I cards, allowing faster write speeds beneficial for burst shooting.

Connectivity and Extras

Both the Olympus and Pentax platforms offer built-in WiFi (no Bluetooth or NFC). Olympus’s WiFi system felt more integrated and intuitive for quick image transfer in my trials, while the KP’s implementation is functional but less seamless.

The Olympus includes an HDMI port; the KP lacks one, which might restrict tethered shooting or direct external viewing options.

Real-World Performance & Sample Images

Olympus E P5 front Olympus E P5 screen back Pentax KP front Pentax KP screen back

I took both cameras out for a variety of shoots: city streets, portraits with soft natural light, rugged landscapes, and evening astrophotography.

• The Olympus E-P5 captured splendid, sharp images with natural colors and smooth skin tones, particularly shining in street portraits thanks to its lovely bokeh despite smaller sensor size. Its in-body stabilization enabled excellent handheld crispness in low light.

• The Pentax KP’s images showed richer detail and dynamic range, especially pronounced in landscape files where shadow and highlight recovery was smooth. Night shots maintained fidelity up to ISO 3200, yielding usable astro images with less noise.

Performance Ratings and Genre Suitability

Based on detailed scoring across photography types I evaluated personally:

• Portrait: Both perform well; KP offers more control and better background separation due to sensor size.
• Landscape: KP dominates for dynamic range & resolution.
• Wildlife: KP favored for tougher AF and tele lens options.
• Sports: E-P5’s higher burst rate wins but KP's ruggedness helps in the field.
• Street: E-P5 wins on discretion and portability.
• Macro: Tie, but KP’s slightly broader native lens range helps.
• Night/Astro: KP’s sensor size and ISO advantage clear.
• Video: Both limited; KP better mic support.
• Travel: E-P5 preferred for lightness & versatility.
• Professional Use: KP better ruggedness and file size for workflows.

Summing Up: Which Camera Is Right for You?

Having dissected every aspect, here’s my candid take based on photography style and budget:

Choose the Olympus E-P5 if:

• You prioritize portability and a retro aesthetic with modern touchscreen convenience.
• Your genres are mainly street, travel, casual portraits, or low-light handheld work where in-body stabilization is crucial.
• You prefer Micro Four Thirds lens compactness and range.
• You want faster burst rates for fleeting moments and superior WiFi connectivity.

Choose the Pentax KP if:

• You need rugged, weather-sealed reliability for outdoor, sports, wildlife, or professional photography under demanding conditions.
• You want superior image quality, dynamic range, and noise control from a larger APS-C sensor.
• You value an optical viewfinder and classic DSLR handling with extensive lens options.
• Video with microphone input is a requirement.

Both cameras represent excellent value for their respective categories: the E-P5 as a stylish, lightweight, enthusiast mirrorless camera, and the KP as a feature-packed, tough, APS-C DSLR ready for serious work.

My Testing Methodology and Final Thoughts

Throughout my hands-on testing, I subjected these cameras to controlled studio tests (for sensor and ISO measurement) plus fieldwork in urban and natural environments to simulate real shooting conditions. This combination assures assessments rooted not only in specs but in everyday photographic realities. I carefully documented autofocus performance, shutter response, ergonomic comfort, and image quality across ISO ranges. Before writing this, hundreds of sample images were examined at pixel level to compare detail and noise.

I hope this deep dive offers you practical clarity tailored to your photographic passions and needs. Whether you lean towards the Olympus E-P5’s nimble elegance or the Pentax KP’s rugged prowess, you’re picking a capable workhorse with distinct strengths - just match them to how and what you shoot.

Happy shooting!

Note: Prices accurate as of mid-2024. Both cameras occasionally come bundled with lenses or promotions that may influence the value proposition further.