Olympus E-PL2 vs Pentax K-3

Below is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-PL2 vs Pentax K-3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a sizable difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was launched 4 years earlier than the K-3 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-PL2 matches up vs the K-3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL2 & Pentax K-3. The complete galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

In case you're intending to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-PL2 offers outer measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") along with a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-PL2 vs Pentax K-3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is the front view measurement comparison of the E-PL2 compared to the K-3.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and K-3 is 85 and 59 respectively.

Oftentimes, it's tough to see the gap in sensor measurements merely by viewing technical specs. The photograph here may provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL2 and K-3.

As you have seen, both of these cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL2 because of its smaller sensor will make getting shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-3 will render extra detail utilizing its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The older E-PL2 will be behind with regard to sensor technology.