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Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90

Portability
88
Imaging
52
Features
72
Overall
60
Olympus PEN E-PL5 front
 
Pentax Optio W90 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL5
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Display
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
  • Announced September 2012
Pentax W90
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 164g - 108 x 59 x 25mm
  • Introduced February 2010
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Overview

Lets examine more in depth at the Olympus E-PL5 versus Pentax W90, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Waterproof by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a considerable gap among the image resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and W90 (12MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and W90 (1/2.3") come with different sensor measurements.

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The E-PL5 was released 2 years later than the W90 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before we go in to a complete comparison, below is a quick summation of how the E-PL5 matches up versus the W90 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL5 over the Pentax W90

 E-PL5 W90 
IntroducedSeptember 2012February 2010More recent by 32 months
Display typeTiltingFixed Tilting display
Display sizing3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kCrisper display (+230k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax W90 over the Olympus E-PL5

 W90 E-PL5 

Common features in the Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax W90

 E-PL5 W90 
Focus manually More exact focusing

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL5 comes with 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 W90 has measurements of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL5 versus Pentax W90 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL5 and the W90.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL5 and W90 is 88 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Sensor Comparison

Sometimes, it is tough to visualize the difference in sensor measurements merely by seeing technical specs. The graphic here may offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL5 and W90.

As you can tell, both of these cameras offer different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL5 featuring a larger sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field easier and the Olympus E-PL5 will provide greater detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The fresher E-PL5 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Portrait photography factors
Pentax W90 Portrait photography factors
71
manual focus
decent MP (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has face detect focus
delivers RAW formats
27
focusing manually
lack of manual mode
can't use external flash
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-PL5
Street photography with Pentax W90
85
tilting screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
offers focus by touch
great ISO range (25,600)
54
environment proof
fixed screen
no image stabilization
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-PL5
Sports photography with Pentax W90
66
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
has tracking focus
no phase detect auto focus
24
environment proof
low fps (1.0 fps)
no shutter priority
no image stabilization
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Travel photography factors
Pentax W90 Travel photography factors
75
offers focus by touch
decent MP (16MP)
display is selfie friendly
lack of Time Lapse function
64
environment proof
built-in flash
decently wide (28mm)
low megapixels (12MP)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 Landscape photography details
Pentax W90 Landscape photography details
74
manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
nice screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (16MP)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
great ISO range (25,600)
delivers RAW formats
lack of Time Lapse function
37
focusing manually
decently wide (28mm)
environment proof
cannot switch lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
lack of manual mode
no image stabilization
low megapixels (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL5 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax W90 as a Vlogging camera
78
display is selfie friendly
touchscreen enabled
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detect focus
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lack of mic support
25
decently wide (28mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
video quality not great (1280 x 720 resolution)
no microphone support
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Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax W90 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL5 and Pentax W90
 Olympus PEN E-PL5Pentax Optio W90
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus PEN E-PL5 Pentax Optio W90
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Announced 2012-09-17 2010-02-24
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor - Prime
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 16MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 25600 6400
Minimum native ISO 200 80
RAW photos
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Number of focus points 35 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Maximum aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus range - 1cm
Available lenses 107 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Tilting Fixed Type
Display size 3 inch 2.7 inch
Resolution of display 460k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/1500 seconds
Continuous shooting rate 8.0 frames per second 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Maximum flash synchronize 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video data format MPEG-4, H.264, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
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 None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 325 gr (0.72 lbs) 164 gr (0.36 lbs)
Dimensions 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") 108 x 59 x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 72 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 22.8 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 12.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 889 not tested
Other
Battery life 360 shots -
Type of battery Battery Pack -
Battery model BLS-5 D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC card, Internal
Card slots One One
Retail cost $400 $120