Olympus E-PL7 vs Pentax K-30

Lets look closer at the Olympus E-PL7 and Pentax K-30, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL7 (16MP) and the K-30 (16MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and K-30 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was released 23 months later than the K-30 making them a generation apart from each other. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a full comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-PL7 scores against the K-30 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL7 and Pentax K-30. The complete galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery and Pentax K-30 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry your camera, you will need to factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL7 offers outside measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") along with a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) while the Pentax K-30 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL7 and Pentax K-30 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you have at that moment. Here is a front view measurements comparison of the E-PL7 and the K-30.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and K-30 is 86 and 63 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is hard to see the contrast between sensor sizing only by checking a spec sheet. The visual underneath should provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL7 and K-30.

As you can see, both of the cameras provide the same resolution but not the same sensor sizing. The E-PL7 contains the tinier sensor which should make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult. The newer E-PL7 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.