Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax K-500

Here, we are comparing the Olympus PEN-F and Pentax K-500, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a huge difference between the image resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and K-500 (16MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and K-500 (APS-C) have totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was revealed 2 years after the K-500 which is quite a significant gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before we go right into a detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the PEN-F matches up versus the K-500 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN-F and Pentax K-500. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Pentax K-500 Gallery.

If you're going to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus PEN-F provides external dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) and the Pentax K-500 has dimensions of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Look at the Olympus PEN-F and Pentax K-500 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at the time. The following is a front view sizing comparison of the PEN-F against the K-500.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the PEN-F and K-500 is 84 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be tough to see the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reviewing technical specs. The pic here might offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the PEN-F and K-500.

As you have seen, both the cameras come with different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The PEN-F having a tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will offer you greater detail because of its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop photos a good deal more aggressively. The newer PEN-F is going to have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.