Clicky

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1

Portability
88
Imaging
53
Features
77
Overall
62
Olympus PEN E-PL6 front
 
Pentax K-S1 front
Portability
69
Imaging
64
Features
70
Overall
66

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Key Specs

Olympus E-PL6
(Full Review)
  • 16MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 25600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 325g - 111 x 64 x 38mm
  • Revealed August 2014
  • Renewed by Olympus E-PL7
Pentax K-S1
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - APS-C Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • 558g - 121 x 93 x 70mm
  • Announced August 2014
  • Replacement is Pentax K-S2
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Overview

In this article, we will be analyzing the Olympus E-PL6 versus Pentax K-S1, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-PL6 (16MP) and the K-S1 (20MP) is relatively comparable but the E-PL6 (Four Thirds) and K-S1 (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month

The E-PL6 was launched very close to the K-S1 which means that they are both of a similar age. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL6 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-S1 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting in to a detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-PL6 grades versus the K-S1 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL6 over the Pentax K-S1

 E-PL6 K-S1 
Screen typeTiltingFixed Tilting screen
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-S1 over the Olympus E-PL6

 K-S1 E-PL6 
Screen resolution921k460kCrisper screen (+461k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-PL6 and Pentax K-S1

 E-PL6 K-S1 
AnnouncedAugust 2014August 2014Same age
Manual focus Dial accurate focusing
Screen sizing3"3"Equivalent screen sizing

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Physical Comparison

For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you'll need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL6 offers physical measurements of 111mm x 64mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 325 grams (0.72 lbs) while the Pentax K-S1 has sizing of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL6 versus Pentax K-S1 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the E-PL6 and the K-S1.

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL6 and K-S1 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be tough to envision the contrast in sensor measurements simply by checking out specs. The photograph here might give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL6 and K-S1.

All in all, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL6 featuring a smaller sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field harder and the Pentax K-S1 will provide more detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop photographs far more aggressively.

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD Cards

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PL6 Portrait photography information
Pentax K-S1 Portrait photography information
71
manual focus
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has face detection focusing
saves RAW formats
78
manual focus
decent MP (20MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
includes face detect focus
saves RAW files
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-PL6
Street photography with Pentax K-S1
85
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
offers focus by touch
great ISO range (25,600)
73
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
saves RAW files
lighter than average in class (558 grams)
very good ISO range (51,200)
screen is fixed
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PL6 Sports photography details
Pentax K-S1 Sports photography details
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (16 megapixels)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
has tracking autofocus
has no phase detect AF
69
maximum shutter speed is high (1/6,000 seconds)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
includes tracking focus
has phase detect auto focus
very slow continuous shooting (5.4 fps)
terrible battery (410 per charge)
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firms

Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PL6
Travel photography with Pentax K-S1
85
offers focus by touch
megapixel count good (16MP)
selfie friendly display
60
lighter than average in class (558 grams)
decent MP (20MP)
built-in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
terrible battery (410 per charge)
screen isn't selfie friendly
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music video

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-PL6
Landscape photography with Pentax K-S1
80
manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
megapixel count good (16MP)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
great ISO range (25,600)
saves RAW formats
73
manual focus
change lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen size is good (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (20 megapixels)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
doesnt have anti aliasing filter
very good ISO range (51,200)
saves RAW files
terrible battery (410 CIPA)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PL6 Vlogging highlights
Pentax K-S1 Vlogging highlights
79
selfie friendly display
has touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
has face detection focusing
great video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lack of external mic support
33
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
includes face detect focus
good video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than average in class (558g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
doesn't have mic port
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone

Olympus E-PL6 vs Pentax K-S1 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PL6 and Pentax K-S1
 Olympus PEN E-PL6Pentax K-S1
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus PEN E-PL6 Pentax K-S1
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Revealed 2014-08-01 2014-08-27
Body design Rangefinder-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic VI Prime MII
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 16 megapixel 20 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 3:2
Highest resolution 4608 x 3456 5472 x 3648
Highest native ISO 25600 51200
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW support
Autofocusing
Focus manually
AF touch
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 35 11
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Available lenses 107 151
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Tilting Fixed Type
Screen sizing 3 inches 3 inches
Screen resolution 460k dot 921k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic (optional) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage - 100 percent
Viewfinder magnification - 0.64x
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60s 30s
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000s 1/6000s
Continuous shooting speed 8.0 frames/s 5.4 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 7.00 m (bundled FL-LM1) 10.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, auto + redeye, on, on + redeye reduction, slow sync, trailing curtain sync, manual
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50 fps)
Highest video resolution 1920x1080 1920x1080
Video file format MPEG-4, Motion JPEG H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
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 Optional
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 325g (0.72 lb) 558g (1.23 lb)
Dimensions 111 x 64 x 38mm (4.4" x 2.5" x 1.5") 121 x 93 x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 78
DXO Color Depth score not tested 23.5
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 13.0
DXO Low light score not tested 1061
Other
Battery life 360 pictures 410 pictures
Style of battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLS-5 D-LI109
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Cost at launch $300 $339