Pentax K-50 vs Olympus E-450

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450
      67
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      54
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Pentax K-50 and the Olympus E-450, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Pentax K-50 was introduced in November 2013 and Olympus E-450 was introduced in March 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Pentax K-50 Highlights

      • 16.3 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 51,600 Native ISO
      • 11 Focus Points (11 Cross-type)
      • Image Stabilization
      • 3.0" 921k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 6.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 25 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body

      Olympus E-450 Highlights

      • 10.0 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • 2.7" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.5 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Pentax K-50
      4. Advantage of Olympus E-450
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Pentax K-50 and Olympus E-450.

      PROS

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      •   11 Focus Points
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/6000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Advantage of Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-50
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax K-50 over Olympus E-450.

      Pentax K-50 vs Olympus E-450
      Video Capture vs
      Larger Sensor APS-C vs Micro Four Thirds
      Higher Sensor Resolution 16.3 Megapixel vs 10.0 Megapixel
      Higher Native ISO 51,600 vs 1,600
      Max Image Resolution 4928 x 3264 vs 3648 x 2736
      Timelapse Recording vs
      More Focus Points 11 vs 3
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Face Detection vs
      Image Stabilization Sensor Shift vs
      Larger Screen 3.0" vs 2.7"
      Higher Resolution Screen 921k dot vs 230k dot
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 100% vs 95%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.61x vs 0.46x
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/6000 sec vs 1/4000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 6.0 fps vs 3.5 fps
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 1120 vs 512
      Higher DxO Color Depth 23.7 vs 21.5
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 13.0 vs 10.5
      Higher DxO Overall Score 79 vs 56
      Built-in Microphone Mono vs
      Environmental Sealing vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Pentax K-50.

      Pentax K-30
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Canon R100
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      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Pentax K-5 IIs
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Sony DSLR-A200
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      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      OM System OM-1
      Image cannot be found

      Micro Four Thirds

      20.4 MP

      Sony DSLR-A700
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      APS-C

      10.24 MP

      Pentax 645D
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      Medium format

      40 MP

      Leica M11 Monochrom
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      Full Frame

      60.3 MP

      Fujifilm X-M1
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Sony a7R III
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      Full Frame

      42.4 MP

      Sony NEX-5T
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      APS-C

      16.1 MP

      Canon 1D III
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      APS-H

      10.1 MP

      Advantage of Olympus E-450

      Olympus E-450
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-450 over Pentax K-50.

      Pentax K-50 vs Olympus E-450
      Selective Autofocus vs
      Lower Min Shutter Speed 30 sec vs 60 sec
      Lighter 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz) vs 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 410 shots vs 500 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-450.

      Olympus E-330
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      Micro Four Thirds

      7.94 MP

      Olympus E-420
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-410
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-520
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-500
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Olympus E-510
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-600
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12 MP

      Olympus E-620
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-5
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      Micro Four Thirds

      12.3 MP

      Olympus E-400
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      Micro Four Thirds

      10.0 MP

      Olympus E-1
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      Micro Four Thirds

      5 MP

      Olympus E-300
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      Micro Four Thirds

      8 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Pentax K-50 Olympus E-450
        Live View Autofocus
        Built-in Flash
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Pentax K-50 Olympus E-450
        Few Focus Points113
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        No HDMI Output
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        Short Battery Life410 shots500 shots

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Pentax K-50 has a 3.0" screen with 921k dot resolution and Olympus E-450 has a 2.7" screen with 230k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens.


      Viewfinder

      Pentax K-50 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinderOlympus E-450 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. Pentax K-50 has 100% coverage with 0.92x (0.61x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Olympus E-450 has 95% coverage with 0.92x (0.46x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Pentax K-50 features a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.7 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 372.1 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 51,600. Olympus E-450 features a 10.0 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Pentax K-50 is equipped with PRIME M processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4224 x 2816, 3456 x 2304, 2688 x 1792 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Olympus E-450 is equipped with TruePic III processor and can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Pentax K-50 has Pentax KAF2 lens mount and Olympus E-450 has Four Thirds lens mount. Due to APS-C sensor in Pentax K-50 its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5. Due to Micro Four Thirds sensor in Olympus E-450 its crop factor is equal to 2x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Pentax K-50

      Pentax K-50 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.


      Battery

      Pentax K-50 comes with D-LI109 battery pack with battery life of 410 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Pentax K-50 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Olympus E-450 has a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Shutter speed can go up to 1/6000 sec on Pentax K-50, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-450. Pentax K-50 can shoot continuously up to 6.0 fps. Olympus E-450 can shoot continuously up to 3.5 fps.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100.. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe or Wireless connection to Pentax K-50. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on both cameras.

      Physical Parameters

      Pentax K-50 body has dimensions of 130 x 97 x 71 mm (5.12 x 3.82 x 2.8") and Olympus E-450 body has dimensions of 130 x 91 x 53 mm (5.12 x 3.58 x 2.09"). Pentax K-50 weighs 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz) and Olympus E-450 weighs 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz).

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      130 mm

      97 mm

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      130 mm

      91 mm

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      97 mm

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      91 mm

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      71 mm

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      53 mm

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      Size comparisons of Pentax K-50 and Olympus E-450

      Pentax K-50 and Olympus E-450 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      81
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      72
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      56
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      AVERAGE
      68
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      55
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      81
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      70
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      83
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      GOOD
      79
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      GOOD
      81
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Pentax K-50 and Olympus E-450 and give them scores of 67 and 54 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      OVERALL
      67
      OVERALL
      54

      Sensor

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      70
      •   Sensor Resolution - 16.3 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   51,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 56

      Photo

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      77
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/6000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 6.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      POOR
      53
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.5 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec

      Video

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      POOR
      45
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      79
      •   11 Focus Points
      •   9 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      78
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 921k dot
      AVERAGE
      64
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.7"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot

      Connectivity

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      POOR
      46
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Pentax K-50

      Olympus E-450

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 650 g (1.43 lb / 22.93 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 410 shots
      POOR
      43
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 426 g (0.94 lb / 15.03 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 500 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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