Olympus E-1 vs Pentax K-1

The Olympus E-1 and the Pentax K-1 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in June 2003 and February 2016. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a Four Thirds (E-1) and a full frame (K-1) sensor. The Olympus has a resolution of 4.9 megapixels, whereas the Pentax provides 36.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-1		Pentax K-1
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses		Pentax K mount lenses
4.9 MP – Four Thirds sensor		36.2 MP – Full Frame sensor
no Video		1080/60i Video
ISO 100-800 (100 - 3,200)		ISO 100-204,800
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
1.8" LCD – 134k dots		3.2" LCD – 1037k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fully flexible screen (no touchscreen)
3 shutter flaps per second		4.4 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
750 shots per battery charge		760 shots per battery charge
141 x 104 x 81 mm, 738 g		137 x 110 x 86 mm, 1010 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-1 and the Pentax K-1? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-1 and the Pentax K-1 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The K-1 can be obtained in two different colors (black, silver), while the E-1 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Pentax K-1 is somewhat larger (3 percent) than the Olympus E-1. Moreover, the K-1 is substantially heavier (37 percent) than the E-1. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the E-1 gets 750 shots out of its Olympus BLM-1 battery, while the K-1 can take 760 images on a single charge of its Pentax D-LI90 power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-1	141 mm	104 mm	81 mm	738 g	750	Y	Jun 2003	1,699	ebay.com
2.		Pentax K-1	137 mm	110 mm	86 mm	1010 g	760	Y	Feb 2016	1,799	ebay.com
3.		Canon 6D Mark II	144 mm	111 mm	75 mm	765 g	1200	Y	Jun 2017	1,999	amazon.com
4.		Canon 5D Mark IV	151 mm	116 mm	76 mm	890 g	900	Y	Aug 2016	3,499	amazon.com
5.		Canon 7D	148 mm	111 mm	74 mm	860 g	800	Y	Sep 2009	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Leica Digilux 3	146 mm	87 mm	77 mm	606 g	750	n	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D500	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	860 g	1240	Y	Jan 2016	1,999	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D610	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Oct 2013	1,999	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D7000	132 mm	105 mm	77 mm	780 g	1050	Y	Sep 2010	1,499	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M1 II	134 mm	91 mm	67 mm	574 g	440	Y	Sep 2016	1,999	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-5	142 mm	117 mm	75 mm	873 g	750	Y	Sep 2010	1,699	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-3	142 mm	116 mm	75 mm	876 g	750	Y	Oct 2007	1,699	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-330	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-300	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
15.		Pentax K-1 II	137 mm	110 mm	86 mm	1010 g	670	Y	Feb 2018	1,999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A99 II	143 mm	104 mm	76 mm	849 g	490	Y	Sep 2016	3,199	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The retail prices at the time of the camera’s release place the model in the market relative to other models in the producer’s line-up and the competition. The E-1 was somewhat cheaper (by 6 percent) than the K-1 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Olympus E-1 features a Four Thirds sensor and the Pentax K-1 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the K-1 is 283 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.0 and 1.0. The sensor in the E-1 has a native 4:3 aspect ratio, while the one in the K-1 offers a 3:2 aspect.

With 36.2MP, the K-1 offers a higher resolution than the E-1 (4.9MP), but the K-1 has smaller individual pixels (pixel pitch of 4.88μm versus 6.78μm for the E-1). Yet, the K-1 is a much more recent model (by 12 years and 7 months) than the E-1, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the K-1 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Pentax K-1 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the K-1 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 36.8 x 24.6 inches or 93.5 x 62.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 29.4 x 19.6 inches or 74.8 x 49.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 24.5 x 16.4 inches or 62.3 x 41.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-1 are 12.8 x 9.6 inches or 32.5 x 24.4 cm for good quality, 10.2 x 7.7 inches or 26 x 19.5 cm for very good quality, and 8.5 x 6.4 inches or 21.7 x 16.3 cm for excellent quality prints.

Unlike the E-1, the K-1 has the capacity to capture high quality composite images by combining multiple shots after shifting its sensor by miniscule distances. This multi-shot, pixel-shift mode is most suitable for photography of stationary objects (landscapes, studio scenes).

The Olympus E-1 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 800, which can be extended to ISO 100-3200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Pentax K-1 are ISO 100 to ISO 204800 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the E-1 is build around a CCD sensor, while the K-1 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-1	Four Thirds	4.9	2560	1920	none	20.0	9.7	-145	44
2.		Pentax K-1	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60i	25.4	14.6	3280	96
3.		Canon 6D Mark II	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	1080/60p	24.4	11.9	2862	85
4.		Canon 5D Mark IV	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.8	13.6	2995	91
5.		Canon 7D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	854	66
6.		Leica Digilux 3	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
7.		Nikon D500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.0	14.0	1324	83
8.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
9.		Nikon D7000	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/24p	23.5	13.9	1167	80
10.		Olympus E-M1 II	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.7	12.8	1312	80
11.		Olympus E-5	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.6	10.5	519	56
12.		Olympus E-3	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.6	10.5	571	56
13.		Olympus E-330	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	73	52
14.		Olympus E-300	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.4	10.1	-40	48
15.		Pentax K-1 II	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60i	25.1	14.0	2698	93
16.		Sony A99 II	Full Frame	42.2	7952	5304	4K/30p	25.4	13.4	2317	92
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The K-1 indeed provides for movie recording, while the E-1 does not. The highest resolution format that the K-1 can use is 1080/60i.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The E-1 and the K-1 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), but the viewfinder of the K-1 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-1 (0.70x vs 0.48x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-1, the Pentax K-1, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Olympus E-1	optical	Y	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
2.		Pentax K-1	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	full-flex	n	1/8000s	4.4/s	n	Y
3.		Canon 6D Mark II	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.5/s	n	n
4.		Canon 5D Mark IV	optical	Y	3.2 / 1620	fixed	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	n	n
5.		Canon 7D	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
6.		Leica Digilux 3	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D500	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	n
8.		Nikon D610	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D7000	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
10.		Olympus E-M1 II	2360	n	3.0 / 1037	swivel	Y	1/8000s	18.0/s	n	Y
11.		Olympus E-5	optical	Y	3.0 / 920	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Olympus E-3	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
13.		Olympus E-330	optical	n	2.5 / 215	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
14.		Olympus E-300	optical	n	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
15.		Pentax K-1 II	optical	Y	3.2 / 1037	full-flex	n	1/8000s	4.4/s	n	Y
16.		Sony A99 II	2400	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the K-1 and the E-1 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The K-1 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the E-1 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

The Pentax K-1 has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The E-1 writes its imaging data to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, while the K-1 uses SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-1 and Pentax K-1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Pentax K-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
3.		Canon 6D Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon 5D Mark IV	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon 7D	Y	mono / -	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica Digilux 3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Nikon D610	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D7000	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Olympus E-M1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
11.		Olympus E-5	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Olympus E-3	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Olympus E-330	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Olympus E-300	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Pentax K-1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		Sony A99 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the K-1 offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the E-1 does not provide wifi capability.

Both cameras feature a PC Sync terminal to control professional strobe lights, which will be appreciated by studio photographers.

Travel and landscape photographers will find it useful that the K-1 has an internal geolocalization sensor and can record GPS coordinates in its EXIF data.

Both the E-1 and the K-1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-1 was replaced by the Olympus E-3, while the K-1 was followed by the Pentax K-1 II. Further information on the features and operation of the E-1 and K-1 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-1 Manual (free pdf) or the online Pentax K-1 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is the Olympus E-1 better than the Pentax K-1 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-1:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 272g or 27 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in June 2003).

Arguments in favor of the Pentax K-1:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (36.2 vs 4.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 177%.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• High quality composites: Can combine several shots after pixel-shifting its sensor.
• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 1080/60i video.
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.48x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 1.8") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1037k vs 134k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a full-flex screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (4.4 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier geotagging: Features an internal GPS sensor to log localization data.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• More modern: Reflects 12 years and 7 months of technical progress since the E-1 launch.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the K-1 is the clear winner of the contest (19 : 3 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-1 and the Pentax K-1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the E-1 and the K-1 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-1	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jun 2003	1,699	ebay.com
2.		Pentax K-1	5/5	..	..	84/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2016	1,799	ebay.com
3.		Canon 6D Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2017	1,999	amazon.com
4.		Canon 5D Mark IV	4.5/5	+ +	4/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2016	3,499	amazon.com
5.		Canon 7D	5/5	+ +	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	1,699	ebay.com
6.		Leica Digilux 3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D500	5/5	+ +	4.7/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,999	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D610	4/5	+ +	..	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	1,999	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D7000	4/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,499	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-M1 II	5/5	+ +	5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	1,999	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-5	4/5	..	..	75/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,699	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-3	..	88/100	..	+ +	o	4/5	Oct 2007	1,699	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-330	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-300	..	..	..	+	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
15.		Pentax K-1 II	..	..	4.5/5	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	1,999	amazon.com
16.		Sony A99 II	..	..	4.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2016	3,199	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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