• 4/3 224.9mm2
  • 12.3 megapixels
  • ISO 200 - 3200
  • APS-C 372.1mm2
  • 16.3 megapixels
  • ISO 100 - 51,200

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Differences

Olympus E-620 advantages over Pentax K-500

  • Tiltable Screen
    Tiltable vs Fixed
    Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
  • Longer exposure
    60 vs 30 sec
    Long exposures for night shots

Pentax K-500 advantages over Olympus E-620

  • Lens selection
    Excellent vs Good
    Better lens selection gives you more options
  • Focus peaking
    Peaker vs Non-peaker
    Your camera will highlight what's in focus
  • Larger sensor
    APS-C vs 4/3
    More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
  • Less expensive
    $600 vs $800 (MSRP)
    Save money for lenses or accessories
  • Better color depth
    23.7 vs 21.3 bits
    Capture richer, more accurate colors
  • Higher effective ISO
    1,087 vs 536 iso
    Take photos in low light with less noise
  • More dynamic range
    13.1 vs 10.3 evs
    Retain detail in highlight and shadows
  • Longer stills battery life
    More info 710 vs 500 shots
    Capture more photos
  • More cross-type AF points
    9 vs 5
    Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
  • Shoots 24p video
    Yes vs No
    Gives your movies a big-screen feel
  • More dots on screen
    922k vs 230k dots
    Can mean greater resolution or a brighter screen
  • Shoots 1080p video
    Yes vs No
    You'll want this if you shoot video
  • More viewfinder magnification
    0.61x vs 0.48x
    Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
  • More pixels
    16.3 vs 12.3 megapixels
    Higher resolution photos
  • Shoots 60p video
    Yes vs No
    A faster framerate can give you more editing options
  • More AF points
    11 vs 7
    More AF points improve autofocus
  • Faster JPEG shooting
    6.0 fps vs 3.9 fps
    Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
  • Bigger JPEG buffer
    30 vs 5 shots
    Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
  • Faster shutter
    1/6000 vs 1/4000 sec
    Shoot wide open in bright light
  • Higher extended ISO
    51200 vs 3200 ISO
    Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

  • Eye-level viewfinder
    Both provide
    You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
    Both provide
    Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
  • Internal flash
    Both provide
    Useful in a pinch for fill flash
  • Hot shoe
    Both provide
    Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
  • Bulb shutter
    Both provide
    Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

  • Touchscreen
    Neither provide
    Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
  • In-camera panoramas
    Neither provide
    Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
  • Built-in Wi-Fi
    Neither provide
    Share your photos wirelessly
  • NFC
    Neither provide
    Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
  • Built-in Bluetooth
    Neither provide
    Always-on wireless connectivity
  • Built-in GPS
    Neither provide
    Geotag your photos
  • On-sensor phase detect
    Neither provide
    Usually improves live view and video AF performance
  • Top deck display
    Neither provide
    Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
  • External Mic Jack
    Neither provide
    Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
  • HDMI out
    Neither provide
    Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
  • Dual card slots
    Neither provide
    Gives you more storage flexibility
  • Headphone jack
    Neither provide
    Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
  • Slow-motion videos
    Neither provide
    Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Buy the Pentax K-500

Review Excerpt

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-420

Olympus E-620
Olympus E-420
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • In-Camera Image Stabilization
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $400
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Fast startup
Pentax K-500
Olympus E-420
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $400
  • 4/3
  • Thinner
  • Longer exposure

Compared to Olympus E-520

Olympus E-620
Olympus E-520
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • More cross-type AF points
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Longer stills battery life
  • Less shutter lag
Pentax K-500
Olympus E-520
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $700
  • 4/3
  • Longer exposure

Compared to Olympus E-600

Olympus E-620
Olympus E-600
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • $600
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
Pentax K-500
Olympus E-600
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Focus peaking
  • $600
  • 4/3
  • Tiltable Screen
  • Longer exposure

Compared to Sony A57

Olympus E-620
Sony A57
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • Thinner
  • More cross-type AF points
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • Focus peaking
  • Larger sensor
Pentax K-500
Sony A57
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Less expensive
  • $800
  • APS-C
  • In-camera panoramas
  • Tiltable Screen

Compared to Pentax K-5 IIs

Olympus E-620
Pentax K-5 IIs
  • $800
  • 4/3
  • Less expensive
  • Tiltable Screen
  • $497
  • APS-C
  • Lens selection
  • Larger sensor
Pentax K-500
Pentax K-5 IIs
  • $597
  • APS-C
  • Less expensive
  • Focus peaking
  • $497
  • APS-C
  • Higher effective ISO
  • Top deck display
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