Olympus E-P3 vs Pentax K100D S

Its time to look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-P3 versus Pentax K100D S, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the image resolutions of the E-P3 (12MP) and K100D S (6MP) and the E-P3 (Four Thirds) and K100D S (APS-C) have different sensor measurements.

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The E-P3 was released 4 years later than the K100D S and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-P3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K100D S being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a more detailed comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-P3 scores against the K100D S with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-P3 & Pentax K100D Super. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-P3 Gallery & Pentax K100D S Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera regularly, you will have to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-P3 features physical measurements 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 K100D S has specifications of 129mm x 91mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.6" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-P3 versus Pentax K100D S in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the E-P3 against the K100D S.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-P3 and K100D S is 86 and 65 respectively.

Oftentimes, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor measurements just by reading through technical specs. The visual below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-P3 and K100D S.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-P3 due to its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus E-P3 will give you more detail as a result of its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop shots way more aggressively. The more modern E-P3 provides a benefit when it comes to sensor innovation.