Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax 645D

Below is a detailed analysis of the Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax 645D, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Pro DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and 645D (40MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and 645D (Medium format) offer different sensor measurements.

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The E-P3 was unveiled 18 months later than the 645D making them a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax 645D being a Large SLR camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-P3 grades versus the 645D when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Pentax 645D. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Pentax 645D Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera frequently, you will want to factor its weight and volume. The Olympus E-P3 has got exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") along with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Pentax 645D has sizing of 156mm x 117mm x 119mm (6.1" x 4.6" x 4.7") and a weight of 1480 grams (3.26 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax 645D in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you have attached at that moment. The following is a front view dimensions comparison of the E-P3 compared to the 645D.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and 645D is 86 and 50 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements purely by checking out specs. The graphic here should give you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and 645D.

All in all, each of these cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 using its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallow DOF more challenging and the Pentax 645D will provide greater detail having an extra 28MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop pics more aggressively. The younger E-P3 provides a benefit with regard to sensor innovation.