Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3
86 Imaging
47 Features
43 Overall
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59 Imaging
64 Features
85 Overall
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Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 6400
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 334g - 115 x 72 x 42mm
- Released November 2010
- Succeeded the Olympus E-PL1
- Replacement is Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
- 24MP - APS-C Sensor
- 3.2" Fixed Screen
- ISO 100 - 51200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Anti-Alias Filter
- 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
- 1920 x 1080 video
- Pentax KAF2 Mount
- 800g - 131 x 100 x 77mm
- Launched April 2014
- Successor is Pentax K-3 II
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Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a considerable difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL1s (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-PL1s (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) have different sensor sizing.
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoThe E-PL1s was released 4 years before the K-3 and that is quite a large difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL1s being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.
Before delving straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a simple introduction of how the E-PL1s matches up against the K-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.
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The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL1s & Pentax K-3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL1s Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL1s over the Pentax K-3
| E-PL1s | K-3 |
|---|
Reasons to pick Pentax K-3 over the Olympus E-PL1s
| K-3 | E-PL1s | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launched | April 2014 | November 2010 | More recent by 41 months | |
| Screen size | 3.2" | 2.7" | Bigger screen (+0.5") | |
| Screen resolution | 1037k | 230k | Clearer screen (+807k dot) |
Common features in the Olympus E-PL1s and Pentax K-3
| E-PL1s | K-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manually focus | More precise focusing | |||
| Screen type | Fixed | Fixed | Fixed screen | |
| Selfie screen | Lack of selfie screen | |||
| Touch screen | Neither includes Touch screen |
Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3 Physical Comparison
For those who are looking to lug around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL1s features physical dimensions of 115mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 334 grams (0.74 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are using at the time. Underneath is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL1s against the K-3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-PL1s and K-3 is 86 and 59 respectively.
Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3 Sensor Comparison
In many cases, it is very difficult to picture the difference between sensor measurements purely by going over technical specs. The graphic below should give you a much better sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL1s and K-3.
As you can tell, both of the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PL1s due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will deliver more detail as a result of its extra 12 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures way more aggressively. The older E-PL1s is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor innovation.
Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3 Screen and ViewFinder
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Olympus E-PL1s vs Pentax K-3 Specifications
| Olympus PEN E-PL1s | Pentax K-3 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand | Olympus | Pentax |
| Model type | Olympus PEN E-PL1s | Pentax K-3 |
| Category | Entry-Level Mirrorless | Advanced DSLR |
| Released | 2010-11-16 | 2014-04-10 |
| Physical type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless | Mid-size SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Powered by | Truepic V | Prime III |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CMOS |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.6mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 366.6mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 12 megapixels | 24 megapixels |
| Anti alias filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 | 3:2 |
| Full resolution | 4032 x 3024 | 6016 x 4000 |
| Max native ISO | 6400 | 51200 |
| Lowest native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW images | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Focus manually | ||
| AF touch | ||
| Continuous AF | ||
| AF single | ||
| AF tracking | ||
| Selective AF | ||
| AF center weighted | ||
| AF multi area | ||
| AF live view | ||
| Face detection focusing | ||
| Contract detection focusing | ||
| Phase detection focusing | ||
| Total focus points | 11 | 27 |
| Cross type focus points | - | 25 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Pentax KAF2 |
| Number of lenses | 107 | 151 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
| Screen size | 2.7" | 3.2" |
| Resolution of screen | 230k dots | 1,037k dots |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch functionality | ||
| Screen technology | HyperCrystal LCD AR (Anti-Reflective) coating | TFT LCD monitor |
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | - | 100 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | - | 0.64x |
| Features | ||
| Slowest shutter speed | 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000 seconds | 1/8000 seconds |
| Continuous shooting rate | 3.0 frames/s | 8.0 frames/s |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Expose Manually | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Set WB | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Inbuilt flash | ||
| Flash distance | 10.00 m | 13.00 m (at ISO 100) |
| Flash settings | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) | Auto, on, off, red-eye, slow sync, slow sync + red-eye, trailing curtain sync, high speed, wireless, manual |
| Hot shoe | ||
| Auto exposure bracketing | ||
| White balance bracketing | ||
| Maximum flash synchronize | 1/160 seconds | 1/180 seconds |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment | ||
| Average | ||
| Spot | ||
| Partial | ||
| AF area | ||
| Center weighted | ||
| Video features | ||
| Video resolutions | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) | 1920 x 1080 (60i, 50i, 30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p) |
| Max video resolution | 1280x720 | 1920x1080 |
| Video file format | Motion JPEG | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Mic port | ||
| Headphone port | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| Bluetooth | ||
| NFC | ||
| HDMI | ||
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) |
| GPS | None | Optional |
| Physical | ||
| Environmental sealing | ||
| Water proofing | ||
| Dust proofing | ||
| Shock proofing | ||
| Crush proofing | ||
| Freeze proofing | ||
| Weight | 334 grams (0.74 lbs) | 800 grams (1.76 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 115 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") | 131 x 100 x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around rating | not tested | 80 |
| DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | 23.7 |
| DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | 13.4 |
| DXO Low light rating | not tested | 1216 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | 290 images | 560 images |
| Type of battery | Battery Pack | Battery Pack |
| Battery ID | BLS-1 | D-LI90 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes ( 2 or 12 seconds) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Type of storage | SD/SDHC | Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Card slots | 1 | 2 |
| Cost at launch | $599 | $639 |