Pentax K-5 vs Pentax E90

Here, we will be contrasting the Pentax K-5 and Pentax E90, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are built by Pentax. There exists a big gap among the image resolutions of the K-5 (16MP) and E90 (10MP) and the K-5 (APS-C) and E90 (1/2.3") boast different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The K-5 was unveiled 11 months later than the E90 which means that they are both of a similar generation. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Pentax K-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax E90 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a brief overview of how the K-5 scores against the E90 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax K-5 and Pentax Optio E90. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax K-5 Gallery and Pentax E90 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera frequently, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-5 offers physical dimensions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") with a weight of 740 grams (1.63 lbs) while the Pentax E90 has measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

See the Pentax K-5 and Pentax E90 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are working with at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the K-5 versus the E90.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the K-5 and E90 is 60 and 94 respectively.

Quite often, it can be tough to visualize the difference in sensor measurements simply by seeing a spec sheet. The visual underneath will give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the K-5 and E90.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The K-5 with its bigger sensor is going to make shooting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax K-5 will show greater detail having an extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The fresher K-5 should have an edge with regard to sensor technology.