Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax E85

Its time to look a bit more in depth at the Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax E85, former is a Advanced Mirrorless while the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the resolutions of the PEN-F (20MP) and E85 (12MP) and the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and E85 (1/2.3") posses totally different sensor sizing.

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The PEN-F was revealed 6 years after the E85 which is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a short summation of how the PEN-F grades against the E85 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN-F & Pentax Optio E85. The full galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry around your camera often, you'll need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus PEN-F provides external measurements of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) while the Pentax E85 has proportions of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") having a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax E85 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is a front view sizing comparison of the PEN-F against the E85.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability rating of the PEN-F and E85 is 84 and 95 respectively.

Generally, it is very difficult to visualise the gap in sensor sizes just by seeing a spec sheet. The picture below will help provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the PEN-F and E85.

As you can see, each of these cameras have different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The PEN-F with its bigger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Olympus PEN-F will produce greater detail because of its extra 8MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The younger PEN-F is going to have an advantage when it comes to sensor technology.