Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K100D

Let's look more closely at the Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K100D, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and K100D (6MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and K100D (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-P3 was announced 4 years later than the K100D and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K100D being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick overview of how the E-P3 matches up against the K100D for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Pentax K100D. The whole galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Pentax K100D Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera, you're going to have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-P3 has exterior dimensions of 122mm x 69mm x 34mm (4.8" x 2.7" x 1.3") having a weight of 369 grams (0.81 lbs) and the Pentax K100D has measurements of 129mm x 93mm x 70mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 660 grams (1.46 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K100D in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are working with at that moment. The following is the front view sizing comparison of the E-P3 compared to the K100D.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the E-P3 and K100D is 86 and 64 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to envision the difference in sensor sizing just by seeing specifications. The visual underneath will help provide you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-P3 and K100D.

To sum up, each of these cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-P3 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Olympus E-P3 will show more detail with its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures somewhat more aggressively. The more modern E-P3 will have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.