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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70

Portability
56
Imaging
44
Features
56
Overall
48
Olympus E-3 front
 
Pentax Optio P70 front
Portability
95
Imaging
34
Features
20
Overall
28

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Key Specs

Olympus E-3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
  • Announced February 2008
  • Superseded the Olympus E-1
  • Later Model is Olympus E-5
Pentax P70
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 64 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-110mm (F2.8-5.0) lens
  • 155g - 97 x 54 x 22mm
  • Introduced March 2009
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Overview

Following is a extensive analysis of the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Ultracompact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the P70 (12MP) is very comparable but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and P70 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizing.

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The E-3 was revealed 12 months prior to the P70 and they are of a similar generation. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax P70 being a Ultracompact camera.

Before delving into a in-depth comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-3 matches up against the P70 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Pentax P70

 E-3 P70 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Selfie screen Take selfies

Reasons to pick Pentax P70 over the Olympus E-3

 P70 E-3 
IntroducedMarch 2009February 2008More modern by 12 months
Display size2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")

Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Pentax P70

 E-3 P70 
Focus manually Dial precise focus
Display resolution230k230kIdentical display resolution
Touch display Neither contains Touch display

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Physical Comparison

For anybody who is planning to carry around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 has got physical measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Pentax P70 has dimensions of 97mm x 54mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9") with a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you have at that time. Below is a front view size comparison of the E-3 versus the P70.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and P70 is 56 and 95 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it is very difficult to imagine the gap in sensor sizes merely by seeing technical specs. The image here may offer you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and P70.

As you can tell, each of these cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-3 having a larger sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field easier and the Pentax P70 will provide more detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos way more aggressively. The more aged E-3 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-3
Portrait photography with Pentax P70
56
has manual focus
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
low resolution (10MP)
27
you can focus manually
no manual control
no external flash support
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-3 Street photography features
Pentax P70 Street photography features
69
screen articulates fully
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
weather proof
47
screen does not articulate
no image stabilization
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
heavier than others (155 grams)
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-3 Sports photography advice
Pentax P70 Sports photography advice
57
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
weather proof
sensor has phase detect AF
max frames per second very slow (5.0 frames per second)
low resolution (10 megapixels)
17
low maximum shutter speed (1/1,000 seconds)
no shutter priority mode
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-3 Travel photography factors
Pentax P70 Travel photography factors
55
weather proof
has built in flash
selfie friendly display
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
low resolution (10 megapixels)
56
flash built-in
rather wide (28mm)
no Time Lapse mode
heavier than others (155 grams)
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-3 Landscape photography information
Pentax P70 Landscape photography information
56
has manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
weather proof
screen is somewhat small (2.5")
low resolution (10MP)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
32
you can focus manually
rather wide (28mm)
cannot switch lenses (fixed lens mount)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inches)
no manual control
no image stabilization
sensor resolution low (12 megapixels)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW files
no Time Lapse mode
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Vlogging Comparison

Vlogging with Olympus E-3
Vlogging with Pentax P70
18
lack of video recording
25
rather wide (28mm)
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
no image stabilization
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
no mic port
heavier than others (155 grams)
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax P70 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-3 and Pentax P70
 Olympus E-3Pentax Optio P70
General Information
Make Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus E-3 Pentax Optio P70
Class Advanced DSLR Ultracompact
Announced 2008-02-20 2009-03-02
Body design Mid-size SLR Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III -
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 12MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 3200 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 64
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 11 9
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-110mm (3.9x)
Largest aperture - f/2.8-5.0
Macro focus distance - 10cm
Total lenses 45 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 2.5 inches 2.7 inches
Resolution of screen 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 5.0 frames/s -
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes -
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 13.00 m 4.60 m
Flash modes Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye -
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (15 fps), 848 x 480 (15 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1280x720
Video data format - Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 890 grams (1.96 lb) 155 grams (0.34 lb)
Physical dimensions 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") 97 x 54 x 22mm (3.8" x 2.1" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.6 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.5 not tested
DXO Low light score 571 not tested
Other
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Launch price $670 $200