Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30
86 Imaging
47 Features
60 Overall
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63 Imaging
56 Features
66 Overall
60
Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 3" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 12800
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 369g - 122 x 69 x 34mm
- Introduced August 2011
- Older Model is Olympus E-P2
- Replacement is Olympus E-P5
(Full Review)
- 16MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3" Fixed Display
- ISO 100 - 12800 (Increase to 25600)
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/6000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 650g - 130 x 97 x 71mm
- Announced October 2012
- Renewed by Pentax K-50
Photography Glossary Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30 Overview
Below is a comprehensive comparison of the Olympus E-P3 versus Pentax K-30, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and K-30 (16MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and K-30 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsThe E-P3 was introduced 14 months earlier than the K-30 making them a generation apart from one another. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-30 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before delving straight to a in-depth comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-P3 matches up against the K-30 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Pentax K-30. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Pentax K-30 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-P3 over the Pentax K-30
| E-P3 | K-30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touch display | Easily navigate |
Reasons to pick Pentax K-30 over the Olympus E-P3
| K-30 | E-P3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2012 | August 2011 | More recent by 14 months | |
| Display resolution | 921k | 614k | Sharper display (+307k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-P3 and Pentax K-30
| E-P3 | K-30 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | Dial exact focus | |||
| Display type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed display | |
| Display dimensions | 3" | 3" | Equal display measurement | |
| Selfie screen | Missing selfie screen |
Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30 Physical Comparison
For those who are aiming to lug around your camera often, you have to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 enjoys exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") with a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Pentax K-30 has specifications of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") having a weight of 650 grams (1.43 lbs).
Contrast the Olympus E-P3 versus Pentax K-30 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. The following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-P3 and the K-30.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and K-30 is 86 and 63 respectively.
Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30 Sensor Comparison
Normally, it's hard to picture the contrast between sensor measurements purely by reading specifications. The photograph here may offer you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-P3 and K-30.
Plainly, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 with its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh trickier and the Pentax K-30 will offer you more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-P3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.
Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K-30 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-P3 | Pentax K-30 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Make | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-P3 | Pentax K-30 |
| Type | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Introduced | 2011-08-17 | 2012-10-29 |
| Body design | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Chip | TruePic VI | Prime M |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 372.1mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 16 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 |
| Full resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 4928 x 3264 |
| Max native ISO | 12800 | 12800 |
| Max boosted ISO | - | 25600 |
| Min native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW format | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focusing | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| Tracking AF | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 35 | 11 |
| Cross type focus points | - | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Amount of lenses | 107 | 151 |
| Crop factor | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Range of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen sizing | 3 inches | 3 inches |
| Screen resolution | 614 thousand dot | 921 thousand dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch friendly | ||
| Screen technology | 3:2 OLED with Anti-Fingerprint Coating | TFT LCD monitor with brightness/color adjustment and AR coating |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.61x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 seconds | 1/6000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting speed | 3.0fps | 6.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 10.00 m (@ ISO 200) | 12.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Wireless, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye,Slow Sync, Slow Sync+ Redeye, Trailing Curtain Sync, Wireless |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash sync | 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 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (30,25,24 fps), 1280 x 720 (60,50,30,25,24 fps), 640 x 424 (30,25,24 fps) |
| Max video resolution | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 |
| Video format | AVCHD, Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environment seal | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 369 gr (0.81 pounds) | 650 gr (1.43 pounds) |
| Physical dimensions | 122 x 69 x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") | 130 x 97 x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | 51 | 79 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | 20.8 | 23.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.1 | 13.0 |
| DXO Low light rating | 536 | 1129 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 330 photographs | 410 photographs |
| Battery form | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-5 | D-LI109,4 x AA |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse recording | ||
| Storage media | SD/SDHC/SDXC card | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage slots | Single | Single |
| Price at launch | $0 | $525 |