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Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3

Portability
68
Imaging
59
Features
93
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Pentax K-3 front
Portability
59
Imaging
65
Features
85
Overall
73

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Launched September 2016
  • Superseded the Olympus E-M1
  • New Model is Olympus E-M1 III
Pentax K-3
(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
  • Launched April 2014
  • New Model is Pentax K-3 II
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Overview

Here, we will be looking at the Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-M1 II (20MP) and the K-3 (24MP) is relatively well matched but the E-M1 II (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-M1 II was released 2 years later than the K-3 and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting right into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise summation of how the E-M1 II scores against the K-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Pentax K-3

 E-M1 II K-3 
LaunchedSeptember 2016April 2014More recent by 30 months
Screen typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating screen
Selfie screen Take selfies
Touch friendly screen Quickly navigate

Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 K-3 E-M1 II 
Screen size3.2"3"Bigger screen (+0.2")

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Pentax K-3

 E-M1 II K-3 
Manual focus Very accurate focusing
Screen resolution1037k1037kIdentical screen resolution

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to lug around your camera, you need to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II provides external dimensions of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") having a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you select during that time. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-M1 II versus the K-3.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 size comparison

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M1 II and K-3 is 68 and 59 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Sensor Comparison

More often than not, it can be hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below should offer you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 II and K-3.

Clearly, each of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-M1 II because of its tinier sensor will make achieving bokeh more challenging and the Pentax K-3 will resolve extra detail as a result of its extra 4 Megapixels. Higher resolution will help you crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more modern E-M1 II is going to have an advantage in sensor tech.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Portrait photography info
Pentax K-3 Portrait photography info
75
you can focus manually
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
offers face detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
79
has manual focus
decent MP (24MP)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with face detection focusing
exports RAW formats
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Pentax K-3
78
screen can move to multiple angles
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
features touch to focus
environment proofing
lighter than competition (574g)
good high ISO (25,600)
69
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
exports RAW formats
environment sealing
great ISO range (51,200)
screen does not articulate
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Sports photography with Pentax K-3
74
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
quiet shooting (1/32,000s)
high max frames per second (60.0 fps)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
offers tracking focus
environment proofing
supports phase detect autofocus
terrible battery pack (350 shots)
76
high shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (24 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
comes with tracking autofocus
environment sealing
supports phase detect AF
bad battery power (560 shots)
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Travel photography camera
Pentax K-3 as a Travel photography camera
72
lighter than competition (574 grams)
environment proofing
features touch to focus
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
selfie friendly screen
terrible battery pack (350 shots)
60
environment sealing
decent MP (24MP)
has built in flash
bad battery power (560 CIPA)
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
Photography Glossary

Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Landscape photography with Pentax K-3
76
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good megapixels (20 megapixels)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
does not have anti aliasing filter
good high ISO (25,600)
supports RAW formats
environment proofing
has dual storage slots
terrible battery pack (350 CIPA)
77
has manual focus
change lenses (Pentax KAF2 mount)
screen is a decent size (3.2 inch)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent MP (24 megapixels)
decent sensor size (APS-C)
does not have anti aliasing filter
great ISO range (51,200)
exports RAW formats
environment sealing
2 card slots
bad battery power (560 per charge)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Vlogging details
Pentax K-3 Vlogging details
79
selfie friendly screen
has touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
offers face detect autofocus
good video quality (4096 x 2160 pxls)
comes with microphone jack
lighter than competition (574 grams)
34
image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection focusing
high video quality (1920 x 1080 resolution)
comes with external microphone support
doesn't offer selfie friendly screen
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Pentax K-3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Pentax K-3
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIPentax K-3
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model type Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Pentax K-3
Category Pro Mirrorless Advanced DSLR
Launched 2016-09-19 2014-04-10
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Powered by TruePic VIII Prime III
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds APS-C
Sensor measurements 17.4 x 13mm 23.5 x 15.6mm
Sensor area 226.2mm² 366.6mm²
Sensor resolution 20MP 24MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 3:2
Full resolution 5184 x 3888 6016 x 4000
Max native ISO 25600 51200
Minimum native ISO 200 100
RAW support
Minimum boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Total focus points 121 27
Cross type focus points - 25
Lens
Lens mount type Micro Four Thirds Pentax KAF2
Number of lenses 107 151
Focal length multiplier 2.1 1.5
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 3.2"
Resolution of screen 1,037 thousand dots 1,037 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech - TFT LCD monitor
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360 thousand dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x 0.64x
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 30 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000 seconds -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0 frames per sec 8.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 13.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash options Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, on, off, red-eye, slow sync, slow sync + red-eye, trailing curtain sync, high speed, wireless, manual
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250 seconds 1/180 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p)
Max video resolution 4096x2160 1920x1080
Video format MOV, H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
GPS None Optional
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight 574 gr (1.27 lbs) 800 gr (1.76 lbs)
Physical dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around rating 80 80
DXO Color Depth rating 23.7 23.7
DXO Dynamic range rating 12.8 13.4
DXO Low light rating 1312 1216
Other
Battery life 350 pictures 560 pictures
Battery style Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery ID BLH-1 D-LI90
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds)
Time lapse feature
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots Two Two
Launch cost $1,700 $639