Olympus E-PL2 vs Pentax K-3 II

In this write-up, we are looking at the Olympus E-PL2 versus Pentax K-3 II, one is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a sizeable gap between the image resolutions of the E-PL2 (12MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the E-PL2 (Four Thirds) and K-3 II (APS-C) feature totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL2 was unveiled 5 years before the K-3 II which is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a brief view of how the E-PL2 scores against the K-3 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus PEN E-PL2 and Pentax K-3 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL2 Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

If you are looking to carry around your camera, you will want to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-PL2 features physical measurements of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") having a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs) while the Pentax K-3 II has sizing of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL2 versus Pentax K-3 II in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. The following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PL2 against the K-3 II.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL2 and K-3 II is 85 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, it is hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes just by looking at a spec sheet. The image below should give you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL2 and K-3 II.

As you can see, both the cameras enjoy different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The E-PL2 with its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-3 II will resolve extra detail having an extra 12 Megapixels. Greater resolution will let you crop images far more aggressively. The more aged E-PL2 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor technology.