Olympus E-M1 vs Pentax K-3 II

Following is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-3 II, former is a Pro Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a large gap among the resolutions of the E-M1 (16MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and K-3 II (APS-C) offer totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-M1 was released 18 months before the K-3 II which makes them a generation away from one another. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight to a in depth comparison, here is a concise synopsis of how the E-M1 grades vs the K-3 II in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M1 & Pentax K-3 II. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-M1 Gallery & Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M1 enjoys external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") and a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has measurements of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 and Pentax K-3 II in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have chosen during that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-M1 vs the K-3 II.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 and K-3 II is 71 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, its hard to visualise the contrast in sensor sizes merely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture underneath will help offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-M1 and K-3 II.

As you can see, each of these cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-M1 because of its smaller sensor will make shooting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-3 II will result in greater detail as a result of its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop pictures way more aggressively. The more aged E-M1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.