Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax ist DL2

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax ist DL2, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a noticeable gap among the resolutions of the E-PL5 (16MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the E-PL5 (Four Thirds) and ist DL2 (APS-C) posses totally different sensor size.

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The E-PL5 was manufactured 6 years later than the ist DL2 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-PL5 scores versus the ist DL2 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL5 & Pentax ist DL2. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL5 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry your camera often, you should factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL5 provides exterior measurements 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 ist DL2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL5 vs Pentax ist DL2 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Following is a front view scale comparison of the E-PL5 compared to the ist DL2.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL5 and ist DL2 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to envision the contrast in sensor sizing just by going through specifications. The visual underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL5 and ist DL2.

Plainly, the 2 cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL5 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF tougher and the Olympus E-PL5 will provide more detail due to its extra 10 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The younger E-PL5 will have an edge in sensor technology.