The technical differences between the two are less important than how they feel in your hands. Both will do a very good job. The differences in megapixel count are irrelevant unless you plan to make huge enlargements, and the slightly small number of pixels on the Pentax results in better performance in low-light situations as a compensation. A toss-up. I have a Pentax K100D and am getting along with it fine; it's a great camera and does everything I want (so far). No doubt people who own the Oly E500 will say the same..

I spent weeks reading magazines, forums, reviews etc. and decided after all that to buy a Nikon D40. After five minutes of actually handling the cameras in a shop I came out with the Pentax....

Good luckMike..

Both are great choices, as is the advice to handle each camera. It's my understanding that the Olympus is quite a bit smaller than the Pentax, which may be an advantage, or not..

I personally went with a Pentax (great, compact lenses)...

Would be to not buy anything!.

But I agree with the other posters, how a camera feels in your hands is VERY important and that is only something you can decide. A camera that sits at home on a shelf because you are uncomfortable using it, is worthless, regardless of how 'good' it is..

Me? I chose the E500. But truely, you won't be 'wrong' either way..

Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos..http://www.photo.net/photos/GlenBarrington..

I just got my 1st DSLR and after looking at the varios entry level options, I got the K100.

Something to keep in mind is that the Shake Reduction feature in the camera will be available for all your lenses, which will be cheaper than buying lenses with IS.

Hope this helps.

Alberto..

E-500: Noisy high-ISO images, tunnel-like viewfinder, 3-area AF, discontinued 14-45mm kit lens, poor and expensive lens selection and SSWF sensor cleaning that really works..

VS.

K100D: Useable ISO1600, good viewfinder, 11-area AF with 9 cross-type sites, a good kit lens, outstanding prime lens selection and in-camera image stabilization..

No contest, really and that's born out in the marketplace..

If the site search feature is down, you can always do an advanced search on Google for results from domain http://forums.dpreview.com..

I never really understood the philosophy behind the 3 point af selection. it's terrible! the best af selection ive seen is from the canon s3 (yes I know a p&s) bec you get a box you can move around anywhere to set your af point. i'd have loved that in my dslr...

You are Absolutely correct, but you left out some important info. So in the spirit of fair play, I thought I'd add the missing information. I still don't care which camera the OP selects, either will do..

Maxwell Smart wrote:.

E-500: Noisy high-ISO images.

Noisier? yes, the Kodak senor in the E500 is a BIT noisier. Sgnificantly noisier? Not really Its totally manageable with software intervention. The difference is Pentax applies NR in the camera. Oly doesn't, allowing you the choice between noise suppression and shooting speed/detail. Actually you can turn on noise suppression in the E500, but the recycle time before you can shoot agin is approximately twice as long. Why waste that shooting time if you don't have to? All that being said, if you intend to do a LOT of noise sensitive photography, such as concert photography or astro photography, the E500 is not for you.



Tunnel-like viewfinder, 3-area AF,.

I'm a 57 year old middle aged dinosaur; it poses no problems with the viewfinder, except that the L.E.D.s providing exposure info are too dim in bright light (but still usable)..

True, 3 focus frames, but it includes single shot auto focus mode, single shot auto focus with manual override, continuous auto-focus, continuous auto-focus with manual override, and manual focus. Three focus frames ARE somewhat limiting for high speed motorsports, a non issue for anything else..

Discontinued 14-45mm kit lens, poor and expensive lens selection..

The lens is discontinued, but it was still the best kit lens on the market with the possible exception of the tele zoom in the 2 lens kit. They have been replaced by physically smaller lenses to accomodate the newer smaller bodies. (though they work just fine on the new bodies.) If you doubt their quality, go to my photo.net web site listed below and look at the results..

Being a newer system, there ARE fewer lenses to select from, You can buy Olympus, Sigma, and Leica lenses that will fit on the E500. But the choices are only limited if you can't buy what you want. Ask yourself what you intend to shoot and if there are any gaps there. Also don't forget the lens line is growing..

Expensive? no. I just paid $279 for the highly rated Olympus 14 - 54 mm f/3.5 zoom lens..

I would also remind you that the Leica lenses have in lens image stabilization. So the 4/3s system is the only system that offers BOTH in body and in lens IS..

And SSWF sensor cleaning that really works..

Yes, in two years, I have never had to manually clean the sensor. Also, don't forget the E500 has in camera pixel mapping. That means if a pixel on your sensor ever goes bad, you turn on the auto mapping feature to tell the camera to compensate. Other systems require that you send the camera into the service center for that. In truth, I don't know how well it works, since I have neve had to use it..

VS.

K100D: Useable ISO1600, good viewfinder, 11-area AF with 9cross-type sites, a good kit lens, outstanding prime lens selectionand in-camera image stabilization..

No contest, really and that's born out in the marketplace..

Is that why Pentax had to merge with Hoya? Good sales? Sorry, I know that's cruel, but the truth is, the E500 has been a very popular camera and has sold well for 2 years. And even though it is 2 years old, it is STILL competitive features wise and image quality wise with the competition..

To anyone reading this, please feel free to visit my photo.net portfolio and judge the quality of E500 photos for yourself. See below..

Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos..http://www.photo.net/photos/GlenBarrington..

Look long and hard at the photos people post in the forums and see what "look" you prefer. You also need to determine if you will bump the ISO up or want the AS. Then, you will be getting into Pentax territory..

Have fun shopping...

Glen Barrington wrote:.

You are Absolutely correct, but you left out some important info.Also, don't forget the E500 has in camera pixel mapping. Thatmeans if a pixel on your sensor ever goes bad, you turn on the automapping feature to tell the camera to compensate. Other systemsrequire that you send the camera into the service center for that..

Sorry to have left out that very worthwhile feature. EVERY DSLR should have pixel mapping to eliminate bad pixels. Even if they're rare, it's a pain when a pixel goes hot or dead..

Group Captain Mandrake: 'I was tortured by the Japanese, Jack, if you must know; not a pretty story....Strange thing is they make such bloody good cameras.' (Dr. Strangelove, 1964)..

This is your brain > K100D.

This is your brain on crack...~.

Is that why Pentax had to merge with Hoya? Good sales? Sorry, Iknow that's cruel, but the truth is, the E500 has been a verypopular camera and has sold well for 2 years. And even though itis 2 years old, it is STILL competitive features wise and imagequality wise with the competition..

I truly understand that people love their cameras and thereby feel the need to support/defend them, but to the extent of misleading people - not nice. I'd venture to guess that when we're looking back after end of life of these current models, the K100D sales will be quite impressive..

I did a lot of research before making my final purchasing decision, and honestly, based on the MANY positive reviews and general consensus EVERYWHERE I turned, there were only a couple of contenders - of which Oly was NOT one of them...

I told the truth. Show me where I lied, and DOCUMENT your version of truth-speak. If you can't document where I've misled anyone, then I have to assume you are just another fanboi , looking for a fight..

And by the way, I didn't try to insult YOU.Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos..http://www.photo.net/photos/GlenBarrington..

Glen Barrington wrote:.

You are Absolutely correct, but you left out some important info.So in the spirit of fair play, I thought I'd add the missinginformation. I still don't care which camera the OP selects,either will do..

Maxwell Smart wrote:.

E-500: Noisy high-ISO images.

Noisier? yes, the Kodak senor in the E500 is a BIT noisier.Sgnificantly noisier? Not really Its totally manageable withsoftware intervention. The difference is Pentax applies NR in thecamera. Oly doesn't, allowing you the choice between noise.

Sorry Barry.

There is a choice for dark frame subtraction on shots 1/2 second and longer. Other than that, there is no NR in the camera...

Dont most cameras have this feature? I know the Canon Digital Rebel 400D has it too, I'd have thought it was common sense...

Thank you all so much! I think I am going to get the pentaxk100d. I appreciate everyone's advice!.

Beverly..

I wanted to buy the Nikon D40....REALLY wanted to buy that camera, but the K100D gave me so much more at a very affordable price. I could care less that it's Pentax - it's a sweet deal, that's all I care about. The E500 and K100D are world's apart, not similar as you suggest. Good example of "smoke n' mirrors". I didn't say that you were intentionally misleading anyone, I just didn't want people to be misled....big difference. My comment wasn't about you - sorry if you felt it came off that way...

Http://anandtech.com/digitalcameras/showdoc.aspx?i=2896&p=1.

"If you want to see a mediocre viewfinder for comparison take a look at the Olympus E500 which makes the user feel like they are looking down a tunnel.".

Http://www .letsgodigital.org/en/camera/review/81/page_6.html.

"In my opinion, the viewfinder of the Olympus E-500 is simply too small...I am also a little less pleased with the start-up time. Yes, it is a great thing that the sensor is continually freed of dust, but the two second wait that is the result of this does eventually become a bore. It is something that can barely keep up with what is standard today.".

Http://www .cameralabs.com/reviews/OlympusE500.

"The view through any Digital SLR with a cropped sensor can appear quite small compared to a full-frame digital or 35mm film camera, but the E-500's appears even smaller still. It may deliver the typical 95% field of view, but thanks to the squarer 4:3 aspect ratio of it's sensor, the view appears narrower than other Digital SLRs. It really is like peering through a tunnel, although after a while you get used to it...On the downside though, the anti-dust process imposes a serious delay every time the camera powers up, the motorised manual focusing (and lack of anti-shake options) could seriously infuriate some photographers, the lack of detail when zooming during playback is disappointing, while the view through the viewfinder has to be one of the smallest from any digital SLR; it's also a missed opportunity not to automatically switch off the monitor when you go to compose a shot.".

Http://www.trustedreviews.com/...view/2006/03/31/Olympus-E-500-Digital-SLR/p2.

"It has to be said that the plastic body also means that it doesnt feel as solid and well made as some of it's competitors. In fact I would go as far as to say that in places the finish feels decidedly flimsy...and this is nowhere more noticeable than on the card and battery hatches. They are both very flimsy and could be a source of problems if roughly handled. The viewfinder is very small compared to other SLRs, and the information displayed beside it is poorly labelled and hard to read. Although there is an info button that displays shooting data on the main monitor, the lack of a separate data display is an annoyance. Just a display of the number of shots remaining would have been helpful."..

I Don't know who Barry is but Page 95 of the E500 user's manual says,.

'When [NOISE REDUCTION] is set to [ON], the camera automatically reduces noise to produce clearler images. Howeer, shooting time is approximately twice as long as usual.'Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos..http://www.photo.net/photos/GlenBarrington..

I can see this thread degenerating into one of those pi$$ing matches that do no one any good. Certainly not the original poster who just wants some good advice, which was taken care of, I think, in the first 3 or 4 posts. So I'm outta here.Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos..http://www.photo.net/photos/GlenBarrington..

I am not trying to cause trouble. The Pentax does not have NR at all for normal exposures...

This is probably the least intrusive way to do NR and I am glad that is the way Oly decided to do it. In the end, the OP will have to compare shots like I originally suggested and handle the cameras. So, please no pi$$ing...

Pyezahn wrote:.

I did a lot of research before making my final purchasing decision,and honestly, based on the MANY positive reviews and generalconsensus EVERYWHERE I turned, there were only a couple ofcontenders - of which Oly was NOT one of them..

If Olympus (especially the E-500) was not a contender after your research, then your research was flawed and/or your decision pre-determined. I'm not a fanboy or a zealot, but the E-500 was reviewed as a very nice camera on every site I've seen, and received a "Highly Recommended" here..

Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Sony, and Olympus were on my long list. Canon, Pentax, and Olympus made my short list. Only the Olympus E-500 ended up on my credit card, and I have absolutely no regrets..

Chris.

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..

Maxwell Smart wrote:.

Http://www .letsgodigital.org/en/camera/review/81/page_6.html.

I am also a little less pleased with the start-up time.Yes, it is a great thing that the sensor is continually freed ofdust, but the two second wait that is the result of this doeseventually become a bore. It is something that can barely keep upwith what is standard today.".

First of all, that quote is from "www.letsgodigital.org", so that has be taken into context. This is a website with no "About Us" link on the main page, and to get to that main page you have to go to a .ORG website, apparently because these chaps weren't smart enough to register the .COM. Not impressed..

Second (ironically), it's not a 2-second startup time, and even if it was....we're talking about two seconds. Look at your watch and see how long two seconds is. Not to mention, wouldn't you gladly give two seconds for the the dust-buster to work the only dust-buster in the industry that is reviewed as functional when the rest are reviewed as worthless or otherwise ineffective? Now remember, it's not really 2 full seconds it's something like 1.5 seconds. It takes you that long to flick the on switch and raise the camera to your eye. This is a ridiculous critique point, and likely came from someone who is anti-dust-buster or owns a camera with a dust-buster that doesn't work at all (which means any that aren't Olympus)..

Http://www .cameralabs.com/reviews/OlympusE500"The view through any Digital SLR with a cropped sensor can appearquite small...although after a while you get used to it....

This is exactly right it is small, but you do get used to it. I have no problems using the E-500 viewfinder, and I wear glasses..

It's also a missed opportunity not to automaticallyswitch off the monitor when you go to compose a shot..

Huh? Press the shutter halfway and the LCD is automatically turned off. This makes me question the competence of the person doing the review, as this is the default setting for the LCD right out of the box. You can also press the display button once and the LCD turns off until you take the shot and then it displays the shot review and then turns the LCD back off. I don't see the problem, other than the reviewer apparently does not know the camera. Also, this is the way most DSLRs with only one screen work..

Http://www.trustedreviews.com/...view/2006/03/31/Olympus-E-500-Digital-SLR/p2Although there is an info button thatdisplays shooting data on the main monitor, the lack of a separatedata display is an annoyance. Just a display of the number of shotsremaining would have been helpful.".

Hmmm...this is pretty much true of almost all of the entry level DSLRs currently out now. If you're going to reference an 1.25 year old review, you need to realize that comments like this are likely to be outdated. Considering the entire industry seems to have gone this way with their entry level DSLRs, I hope the reviewer feels appropriately stupid for critizing the entire industry's entry level cameras..

Chris.

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..

In the same decision, I chose the E-500. The 2-lens kit is an excellent value, and the 40-150mm kit lens is a keeper. Even if you upgrade to more expensive lenses later on, you will likely keep the 40-150mm in your gear bag..

The E-500 (actually all Olympus DSLRs) dust-buster is the best, which isn't difficult because it's reviewed as the only dust-buster that works. If you're going to be switching lenses, it would be a good idea to get an Olympus DSLR unless you just find the tedious manual sensor cleaning to be a fun hobby..

I suggest holding both in your hands (if you haven't already), but also reading the online reviews. You'll find that most of the ratings are the same. For example, DPReview rated both cameras as Highly Recommended, but if you look at the pros and cons list at the end of the DPReview review of each, I think you'll see that there are more cons to be concerned about with the Pentax and less of great concern on the Olympus. The "pro" list is also longer with more significant features mentioned in the Olympus review..

All the above is what sold me on the Olympus..

Chris.

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..

Agreed. Yet the reviews / research is only half of it..

All you really need to do is have a look, go pick each of them up and it will be VERY obvious..

Maxwell Smart wrote:.

E-500: Noisy high-ISO images, tunnel-like viewfinder, 3-area AF,discontinued 14-45mm kit lens, poor and expensive lens selectionand SSWF sensor cleaning that really works..

VS.

K100D: Useable ISO1600, good viewfinder, 11-area AF with 9cross-type sites, a good kit lens, outstanding prime lens selectionand in-camera image stabilization..

No contest, really and that's born out in the marketplace..

If the site search feature is down, you can always do an advancedsearch on Google for results from domain http://forums.dpreview.com..