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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q

Portability
56
Imaging
44
Features
56
Overall
48
Olympus E-3 front
 
Pentax Q front
Portability
93
Imaging
35
Features
47
Overall
39

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q Key Specs

Olympus E-3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.5" Fully Articulated Display
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
  • Released February 2008
  • Earlier Model is Olympus E-1
  • Successor is Olympus E-5
Pentax Q
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 125 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • 180g - 98 x 57 x 31mm
  • Announced June 2011
  • Replacement is Pentax Q10
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q Overview

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the Q (12MP) is fairly close but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and Q (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-3 was announced 4 years earlier than the Q and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax Q being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going in to a complete comparison, below is a simple view of how the E-3 scores versus the Q when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Pentax Q

 E-3 Q 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Pentax Q over the Olympus E-3

 Q E-3 
AnnouncedJune 2011February 2008More recent by 40 months
Display sizing3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution460k230kSharper display (+230k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Pentax Q

 E-3 Q 
Manual focus Dial exact focus
Touch friendly display Absent Touch friendly display

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q Physical Comparison

For anyone who is aiming to lug around your camera regularly, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 features exterior measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Pentax Q has dimensions of 98mm x 57mm x 31mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.2") with a weight of 180 grams (0.40 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the E-3 against the Q.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q size comparison

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and Q is 56 and 93 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it can be hard to envision the gap in sensor measurements simply by researching specs. The visual below should give you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and Q.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 using its larger sensor will make getting shallow depth of field simpler and the Pentax Q will result in greater detail with its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also let you crop images far more aggressively. The older E-3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q sensor size comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q Screen and ViewFinder

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

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax Q as a Portrait photography camera
56
has manual focus
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
low MP (10MP)
45
manual focus
high flash sync (1/2,000s)
delivers RAW formats
megapixel count low (12MP)
small sensor (1/2.3")
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Street photography camera
Pentax Q as a Street photography camera
69
screen can move to multiple angles
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
environment proofing
69
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
delivers RAW formats
lighter than competition (180g)
screen does not articulate
small sensor (1/2.3")
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Sports photography camera
Pentax Q as a Sports photography camera
57
great max shutter speed (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
environment proofing
has phase detect AF
low fps (5.0 fps)
low MP (10MP)
31
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
features tracking focus
max fps low (2.0 frames/s)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
not so great battery life (230 CIPA)
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-3
Travel photography with Pentax Q
55
environment proofing
flash built-in
display is selfie friendly
lack of Time Lapse recording
low MP (10MP)
57
lighter than competition (180 grams)
has built in flash
doesn't have Timelapse recording
not so great battery life (230 CIPA)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-3
Landscape photography with Pentax Q
56
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is decent (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW formats
environment proofing
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
low MP (10 megapixels)
lack of Time Lapse recording
51
manual focus
switch lenses (Pentax Q mount)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
delivers RAW formats
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
not so great battery life (230 per charge)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
Photography Glossary

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax Q as a Vlogging camera
18
no video recording
34
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
video resolution high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
lighter than competition (180g)
display is not selfie friendly
doesn't have microphone socket
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Q
 Olympus E-3Pentax Q
General Information
Make Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus E-3 Pentax Q
Type Advanced DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released 2008-02-20 2011-06-23
Physical type Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic III -
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 12MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 3200 6400
Lowest native ISO 100 125
RAW pictures
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points 11 25
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Pentax Q
Total lenses 45 8
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Display type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Display size 2.5 inches 3 inches
Display resolution 230 thousand dots 460 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Display tech - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 30s
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/2000s
Continuous shutter rate 5.0 frames per second 2.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 13.00 m 5.60 m
Flash settings Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Trailing-curtain sync
Hot shoe
AEB
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone port
Headphone port
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 sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 890 grams (1.96 pounds) 180 grams (0.40 pounds)
Dimensions 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") 98 x 57 x 31mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.2")
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating 56 47
DXO Color Depth rating 21.6 20.2
DXO Dynamic range rating 10.5 11.1
DXO Low light rating 571 189
Other
Battery life - 230 pictures
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery ID - D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 1
Price at release $670 $695