Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K100D S

Below is a thorough overview of the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax K100D S, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and K100D S (6MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and K100D S (APS-C) boast totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL5 was announced 5 years later than the K100D S and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a more detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-PL5 scores against the K100D S with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Pentax K100D Super. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Pentax K100D S Gallery.

For those who are going to lug around your camera, you should factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 has got exterior dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) and the Pentax K100D S has dimensions of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax K100D S in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at that time. Here is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PL5 versus the K100D S.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and K100D S is 88 and 65 respectively.

Typically, it is difficult to visualise the difference in sensor measurements only by researching technical specs. The graphic here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and K100D S.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 with its smaller sensor will make shooting bokeh trickier and the Olympus E-PL5 will result in extra detail with its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The newer E-PL5 is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.