Pentax K20D vs Olympus E-420

Pentax K20D advantages over Olympus E-420

• Lens selection
  Excellent vs Good
  Better lens selection gives you more options
• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 4/3
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• In-Camera Image Stabilization
  Yes vs No
  Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
• Fast startup
  ~0.40 vs 0.8 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  K20D test data on DxO Mark E-420 test data on DxO Mark
  639 vs 527 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• More cross-type AF points
  9 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• Pentaprism viewfinder
  Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
  Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.63x vs 0.46x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  14.6 vs 10.0 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• More AF points
  11 vs 3
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  38 vs 13 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Higher extended ISO
  6400 vs 1600 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility