Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-500

Below, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax K-500, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL1s was brought out 4 years earlier than the K-500 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-PL1s matches up against the K-500 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Pentax K-500. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera regularly, you'll have to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL1s features outside dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") with a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) while the Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax K-500 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL1s compared to the K-500.

Looking at size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL1s and K-500 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizes just by checking out a spec sheet. The pic below might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL1s and K-500.

As you can see, both of the cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL1s due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-500 will provide greater detail having its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos much more aggressively. The more aged E-PL1s will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.