Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II
68 Imaging
44 Features
45 Overall
44


59 Imaging
66 Features
84 Overall
73
Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 1600
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 552g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
- Revealed August 2008
- Older Model is Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
- Introduced April 2015
- Superseded the Pentax K-3

Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Overview
Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II, one being a Entry-Level DSLR and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a crucial difference among the image resolutions of the E-520 (10MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the E-520 (Four Thirds) and K-3 II (APS-C) offer totally different sensor sizes.

The E-520 was announced 7 years before the K-3 II and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-520 being a Compact SLR camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before going into a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief synopsis of how the E-520 matches up vs the K-3 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Gallery
This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-520 and Pentax K-3 II. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-520 Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-520 over the Pentax K-3 II
E-520 | K-3 II |
---|
Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 II over the Olympus E-520
K-3 II | E-520 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | April 2015 | ![]() | August 2008 | Fresher by 81 months |
Screen dimensions | 3.2" | ![]() | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.5") |
Screen resolution | 1037k | ![]() | 230k | Crisper screen (+807k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-520 and Pentax K-3 II
E-520 | K-3 II | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | Very exact focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither comes with selfie screen | ||
Touch friendly screen | ![]() | Neither comes with Touch friendly screen |
Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Physical Comparison
For anyone who is planning to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-520 comes with outer dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") and a weight of 552 grams (1.22 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 II has dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).
Look at the Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Don't forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Underneath is a front view physical size comparison of the E-520 vs the K-3 II.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the E-520 and K-3 II is 68 and 59 respectively.

Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Sensor Comparison
Usually, it can be hard to envision the contrast in sensor sizing merely by going through specs. The photograph here may give you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-520 and K-3 II.
As you can plainly see, both cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-520 with its smaller sensor will make getting bokeh tougher and the Pentax K-3 II will show extra detail with its extra 14 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also let you crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The older E-520 will be behind when it comes to sensor tech.

Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-520 vs Pentax K-3 II Specifications
Olympus E-520 | Pentax K-3 II | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Company | Olympus | Pentax |
Model type | Olympus E-520 | Pentax K-3 II |
Type | Entry-Level DSLR | Advanced DSLR |
Revealed | 2008-08-20 | 2015-04-23 |
Physical type | Compact SLR | Mid-size SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
Powered by | - | Prime III |
Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
Highest resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 6016 x 4000 |
Highest native ISO | 1600 | 51200 |
Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW photos | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Manual focusing | ||
AF touch | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
Selective AF | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
AF live view | ||
Face detect focusing | ||
Contract detect focusing | ||
Phase detect focusing | ||
Total focus points | 3 | 27 |
Cross type focus points | - | 25 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
Number of lenses | 45 | 151 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Type of display | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Display sizing | 2.7 inches | 3.2 inches |
Display resolution | 230k dots | 1,037k dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch friendly | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentamirror) | Optical (pentaprism) |
Viewfinder coverage | 95 percent | 100 percent |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.46x | 0.64x |
Features | ||
Lowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
Highest shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
Continuous shooting rate | 4.0 frames per second | 8.3 frames per second |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Expose Manually | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Custom WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) | no built-in flash |
Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto Flash Discharge, Auto Flash + Red-eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash On + Red-eye Reduction, Slow-speed Sync, Slow-speed Sync + Red-eye, P-TTL, Trailing Curtain Sync, Contrast-control-sync, High-speed sync, Wireless sync (available with dedicated external flash) |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Highest flash synchronize | 1/180 seconds | 1/180 seconds |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Supported video resolutions | - | 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
Highest video resolution | None | 1920x1080 |
Video file format | - | MPEG-4, H.264 |
Mic support | ||
Headphone support | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Optional |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
GPS | None | BuiltIn |
Physical | ||
Environmental sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 552 grams (1.22 lbs) | 800 grams (1.76 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") | 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | 55 | 80 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.4 | 23.6 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.4 | 13.6 |
DXO Low light rating | 548 | 1106 |
Other | ||
Battery life | 650 shots | 720 shots |
Form of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | D-LI90 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
Time lapse feature | ||
Storage type | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | One | 2 |
Retail cost | $400 | $829 |