Olympus E-PL2 vs Pentax K100D

Below is a complete review of the Olympus E-PL2 versus Pentax K100D, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and K100D (6MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and K100D (APS-C) possess different sensor measurements.

Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The E-PL2 was brought out 4 years later than the K100D and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go in to a thorough comparison, below is a concise summary of how the E-PL2 matches up against the K100D in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Pentax K100D. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Pentax K100D Gallery.

When you are aiming to lug around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL2 comes with outside dimensions of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Pentax K100D has dimensions of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL2 versus Pentax K100D in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you use during that time. The following is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL2 against the K100D.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL2 and K100D is 85 and 64 respectively.

More often than not, its difficult to visualize the gap between sensor measurements only by reading specs. The photograph below will give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL2 and K100D.

All in all, both of the cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 because of its tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus E-PL2 will offer more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos much more aggressively. The younger E-PL2 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.