Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1
88 Imaging
51 Features
72 Overall
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69 Imaging
62 Features
70 Overall
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Tilting Screen
- ISO 200 - 25600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
- Revealed September 2012
(Full Review)
- 20MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 558g - 121 x 93 x 70mm
- Launched August 2014
- Successor is Pentax K-S2
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Its time to take a closer look at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the K-S1 (20MP) is pretty similar but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and K-S1 (APS-C) boast different sensor measurements.
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created ImagesThe E-PL5 was unveiled 23 months earlier than the K-S1 which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before getting into a in depth comparison, here is a short overview of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the K-S1 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.
Photography Glossary Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 Gallery
The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Pentax K-S1. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Pentax K-S1 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Pentax K-S1
| E-PL5 | K-S1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen type | Tilting | Fixed | Tilting screen | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies | |||
| Touch screen | Quickly navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-S1 over the Olympus E-PL5
| K-S1 | E-PL5 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | August 2014 | September 2012 | Newer by 23 months | |
| Screen resolution | 921k | 460k | Sharper screen (+461k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax K-S1
| E-PL5 | K-S1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Focus manually | More accurate focus | |||
| Screen dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal screen measurements |
Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 Physical Comparison
In case you're planning to travel with your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with outside measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Pentax K-S1 has dimensions of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).
Analyze the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you have at the time. Below is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL5 and the K-S1.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and K-S1 is 88 and 69 respectively.
Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very difficult to imagine the gap between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The picture here should offer you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL5 and K-S1.
As you can tell, both of those cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL5 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh tougher and the Pentax K-S1 will offer you extra detail having an extra 4MP. Higher resolution will also help you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-PL5 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.
Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K-S1 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Pentax K-S1 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL5 | Pentax K-S1 |
| Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Revealed | 2012-09-17 | 2014-08-27 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | - | Prime MII |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor measurements | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 16MP | 20MP |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Full resolution | 4608 x 3456 | 5472 x 3648 |
| Max native ISO | 25600 | 51200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 200 | 100 |
| RAW photos | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| Autofocus touch | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Single autofocus | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detection autofocus | ||
| Contract detection autofocus | ||
| Phase detection autofocus | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 11 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Number of lenses | 107 | 151 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Tilting | Fixed Type |
| Screen diagonal | 3 inch | 3 inch |
| Screen resolution | 460k dots | 921k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.64x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000s | 1/6000s |
| Continuous shooting rate | 8.0 frames/s | 5.4 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash options | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, auto + redeye, on, on + redeye reduction, slow sync, trailing curtain sync, manual |
| Hot shoe | ||
| AE bracketing | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash synchronize | 1/250s | - |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Supported video resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG | H.264 |
| Microphone support | ||
| Headphone support | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | Eye-Fi Connected | Eye-Fi Connected |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 325 grams (0.72 lbs) | 558 grams (1.23 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") | 121 x 93 x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 72 | 78 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 22.8 | 23.5 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 12.3 | 13.0 |
| DXO Low light rating | 889 | 1061 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 360 shots | 410 shots |
| Battery style | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | D-LI109 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse feature | ||
| Storage type | SD/SDHC/SDXC | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | 1 | 1 |
| Price at launch | $400 | $339 |