Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K-500

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax K-500, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-PL8 (16MP) and the K-500 (16MP) is fairly similar but the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor size.

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The E-PL8 was launched 2 years after the K-500 which is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a brief highlight of how the E-PL8 grades vs the K-500 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Pentax K-500. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you are aiming to travel with your camera frequently, you need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL8 features outer dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-500 has proportions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") along with a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PL8 and Pentax K-500 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen at that time. Here is the front view dimensions comparison of the E-PL8 and the K-500.

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL8 and K-500 is 86 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualize the difference between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing technical specs. The picture here should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL8 and K-500.

As you can tell, both of these cameras posses the exact same resolution but different sensor dimensions. The E-PL8 features the tinier sensor which will make obtaining shallower depth of field more challenging. The fresher E-PL8 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor technology.