Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax K20D

In this article, we will be looking at the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax K20D, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL5 (16MP) and the K20D (15MP) is relatively close but the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and K20D (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was launched 4 years after the K20D which is a fairly large difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K20D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a full comparison, below is a concise overview of how the E-PL5 grades versus the K20D with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Pentax K20D. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Pentax K20D Gallery.

In case you're intending to carry around your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 enjoys external dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") along with a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Pentax K20D has sizing of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax K20D in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are using at that moment. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL5 vs the K20D.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and K20D is 88 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, its difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes purely by researching specifications. The picture here may provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and K20D.

To sum up, each of the cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-PL5 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field trickier and the Olympus E-PL5 will result in extra detail utilizing its extra 1 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots far more aggressively. The fresher E-PL5 will have a benefit in sensor tech.