Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-3

Its time to look much closer at the Olympus E-P3 and Pentax K-3, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap among the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) use different sensor sizing.

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The E-P3 was unveiled 3 years before the K-3 which is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a concise view of how the E-P3 grades vs the K-3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-P3 and Pentax K-3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to travel with your camera regularly, you're going to have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 enjoys physical dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 has specifications 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-P3 and Pentax K-3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ based on the lens you are using at that time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-P3 against the K-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-P3 and K-3 is 86 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to visualize the gap in sensor dimensions just by going through specifications. The picture below might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P3 and K-3.

Plainly, both of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor dimensions. The E-P3 with its smaller sensor is going to make achieving shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-3 will provide more detail having an extra 12MP. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The more aged E-P3 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.