Olympus E-PM1 vs Pentax K-5 IIs

On this page, we will be evaluating the Olympus E-PM1 vs Pentax K-5 IIs, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a significant difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and K-5 IIs (16MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and K-5 IIs (APS-C) provide different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PM1 was revealed 18 months earlier than the K-5 IIs which makes them a generation apart from each other. Both of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-5 IIs being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a short summation of how the E-PM1 grades vs the K-5 IIs in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Pentax K-5 IIs. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Pentax K-5 IIs Gallery.

In case you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 has got outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) and the Pentax K-5 IIs has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-PM1 vs Pentax K-5 IIs in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-PM1 and the K-5 IIs.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-PM1 and K-5 IIs is 89 and 60 respectively.

In many cases, it can be tough to imagine the gap between sensor measurements only by looking at a spec sheet. The visual here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and K-5 IIs.

As you can see, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 having a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-5 IIs will give more detail because of its extra 4MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-PM1 is going to be behind in sensor technology.