Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K10D

Its time to examine more closely at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K10D, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and K10D (10MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and K10D (APS-C) come with totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was unveiled 5 years after the K10D which is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving through a full comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-PL5 grades vs the K10D when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Pentax K10D. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Pentax K10D Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry around your camera, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys physical dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Pentax K10D has sizing of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") having a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K10D in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PL5 and the K10D.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and K10D is 88 and 59 respectively.

Typically, it's difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading a spec sheet. The picture underneath may give you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and K10D.

As you can see, both of the cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallow DOF harder and the Olympus E-PL5 will offer extra detail having an extra 6MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The newer E-PL5 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.