Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5
86 Imaging
47 Features
43 Overall
45


60 Imaging
56 Features
82 Overall
66
Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
- Launched May 2010
- Refreshed by Olympus E-PL1s
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 80 - 12800 (Raise to 51200)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 740g - 131 x 97 x 73mm
- Revealed December 2010
- Previous Model is Pentax K-7
- Replacement is Pentax K-5 IIs

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Overview
Its time to take a deeper look at the Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-PL1 (12MP) and K-5 (16MP) and the E-PL1 (Four Thirds) and K-5 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor dimensions.

The E-PL1 was introduced 7 months before the K-5 and they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before going into a full comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-PL1 scores versus the K-5 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1 and Pentax K-5. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1 Gallery and Pentax K-5 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1 over the Pentax K-5
E-PL1 | K-5 |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax K-5 over the Olympus E-PL1
K-5 | E-PL1 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Revealed | December 2010 | ![]() | May 2010 | Newer by 7 months |
Display dimensions | 3" | ![]() | 2.7" | Larger display (+0.3") |
Display resolution | 921k | ![]() | 230k | Clearer display (+691k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL1 and Pentax K-5
E-PL1 | K-5 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Very precise focus | ||
Display type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen | ||
Touch display | ![]() | Neither contains Touch display |
Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Physical Comparison
If you are looking to travel with your camera often, you have to think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL1 has got external dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 has measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") having a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).
Examine the Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL1 vs the K-5.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1 and K-5 is 86 and 60 respectively.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Sensor Comparison
Sometimes, its hard to see the difference in sensor dimensions only by going through technical specs. The picture here should give you a better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1 and K-5.
As you can tell, both the cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL1 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-5 will produce extra detail using its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop pics more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1 will be behind in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL1 vs Pentax K-5 Specifications
Olympus PEN E-PL1 | Pentax K-5 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
Model | Olympus PEN E-PL1 | Pentax K-5 |
Class | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
Launched | 2010-05-17 | 2010-12-18 |
Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor Chip | Truepic V | Prime II |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 372.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
Anti aliasing filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
Highest resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4928 x 3264 |
Highest native ISO | 3200 | 12800 |
Highest boosted ISO | - | 51200 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 80 |
RAW images | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focus | ||
Touch to focus | ||
Continuous autofocus | ||
Single autofocus | ||
Tracking autofocus | ||
Autofocus selectice | ||
Center weighted autofocus | ||
Autofocus multi area | ||
Live view autofocus | ||
Face detection autofocus | ||
Contract detection autofocus | ||
Phase detection autofocus | ||
Number of focus points | 11 | 11 |
Cross focus points | - | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens mounting type | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
Total lenses | 107 | 151 |
Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen sizing | 2.7 inch | 3 inch |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dot | 921 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch operation | ||
Screen tech | HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT LCD monitor |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.61x |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Continuous shooting speed | 3.0 frames/s | 7.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Change white balance | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash range | 10.00 m | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow sync, High speed, Rear curtain and Wireless |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
White balance bracketing | ||
Maximum flash sync | 1/160 seconds | 1/180 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (25 fps), 1280 x 720 (25, 30 fps), 640 x 424 (25, 30 fps) |
Highest video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone jack | ||
Headphone jack | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | None |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | Optional |
Physical | ||
Environment seal | ||
Water proof | ||
Dust proof | ||
Shock proof | ||
Crush proof | ||
Freeze proof | ||
Weight | 334g (0.74 lb) | 740g (1.63 lb) |
Physical dimensions | 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 131 x 97 x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around score | 54 | 82 |
DXO Color Depth score | 21.5 | 23.7 |
DXO Dynamic range score | 10.1 | 14.1 |
DXO Low light score | 487 | 1162 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 290 images | 980 images |
Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery model | BLS-1 | D-LI90 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Storage media | SD/SDHC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Storage slots | Single | Single |
Pricing at launch | $288 | $800 |