Olympus E-3 vs Pentax K-S1

Its time to look a little more in depth at the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax K-S1, both Advanced DSLR cameras by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and K-S1 (20MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and K-S1 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

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The E-3 was brought out 7 years before the K-S1 which is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras feature the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before diving into a full comparison, here is a concise view of how the E-3 grades against the K-S1 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Pentax K-S1. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax K-S1 Gallery.

When you are planning to travel with your camera often, you will want to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 comes with physical dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-S1 has measurements of 121mm x 93mm x 70mm (4.8" x 3.7" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 558 grams (1.23 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax K-S1 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-3 compared to the K-S1.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and K-S1 is 56 and 69 respectively.

Normally, it is very tough to visualize the difference in sensor dimensions just by viewing a spec sheet. The picture below will help give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and K-S1.

Clearly, each of the cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-3 because of its smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower depth of field trickier and the Pentax K-S1 will render extra detail having its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged E-3 will be behind in sensor technology.