Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax KP

Here is a thorough analysis of the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax KP, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference among the resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and KP (24MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and KP (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL5 was brought out 5 years prior to the KP and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax KP being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-PL5 scores vs the KP with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL5 and Pentax KP. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery and Pentax KP Gallery.

For anybody who is going to carry your camera, you'll have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL5 has got physical dimensions of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Pentax KP has sizing of 132mm x 101mm x 76mm (5.2" x 4.0" x 3.0") along with a weight of 703 grams (1.55 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax KP in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL5 against the KP.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and KP is 88 and 61 respectively.

Generally, it is tough to see the contrast in sensor sizing purely by going through technical specs. The photograph below might offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL5 and KP.

As you have seen, each of the cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax KP will produce more detail having its extra 8MP. Higher resolution will let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-PL5 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.