Olympus E-3 vs Pentax Q

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.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Q. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax Q Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.