Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-5

On this page, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-5, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the K-5 (16MP) is very close but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and K-5 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL6 was unveiled 3 years after the K-5 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going right into a detailed comparison, here is a brief overview of how the E-PL6 scores vs the K-5 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL6 & Pentax K-5. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PL6 Gallery & Pentax K-5 Gallery.

If you are going to travel with your camera frequently, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL6 features external measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 has specifications of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-5 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing at the time. Here is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL6 compared to the K-5.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL6 and K-5 is 88 and 60 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions merely by viewing specifications. The pic underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL6 and K-5.

To sum up, both cameras have the same megapixel count but not the same sensor dimensions. The E-PL6 provides the smaller sensor which should make achieving bokeh more difficult. The fresher E-PL6 will have an edge in sensor technology.