Olympus E-500 vs Pentax K-3 III

The following is a in-depth comparison of the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax K-3 III, both Advanced DSLR digital cameras by companies Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the E-500 (8MP) and K-3 III (26MP) and the E-500 (Four Thirds) and K-3 III (APS-C) offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-500 was manufactured 16 years earlier than the K-3 III which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have the same body design (Mid-size SLR).

Before getting straight to a in depth comparison, here is a quick introduction of how the E-500 matches up vs the K-3 III with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-500 & Pentax K-3 Mark III. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-500 Gallery & Pentax K-3 III Gallery.

For anybody who is going to travel with your camera often, you should take into account its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-500 offers external dimensions of 130mm x 95mm x 66mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.6") with a weight of 479 grams (1.06 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 III has dimensions of 135mm x 104mm x 74mm (5.3" x 4.1" x 2.9") along with a weight of 820 grams (1.81 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-500 versus Pentax K-3 III in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the E-500 compared to the K-3 III.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-500 and K-3 III is 70 and 58 respectively.

Typically, it's tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by looking at technical specs. The pic below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-500 and K-3 III.

As you can tell, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-500 due to its tinier sensor will make getting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-3 III will give more detail due to its extra 18MP. Higher resolution will allow you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The more aged E-500 is going to be behind with regard to sensor technology.