Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax K-70

In this article, we are reviewing the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax K-70, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and K-70 (24MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and K-70 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL3 was introduced 5 years prior to the K-70 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-70 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a complete comparison, below is a quick summary of how the E-PL3 grades vs the K-70 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Pentax K-70. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Pentax K-70 Gallery.

In case you're looking to carry your camera, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 provides outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-70 has dimensions of 126mm x 93mm x 74mm (5.0" x 3.7" x 2.9") along with a weight of 688 grams (1.52 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 and Pentax K-70 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view size comparison of the E-PL3 against the K-70.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and K-70 is 88 and 62 respectively.

In many cases, it's hard to picture the gap in sensor sizing simply by going through specs. The photograph underneath may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL3 and K-70.

All in all, both of these cameras enjoy different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL3 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF harder and the Pentax K-70 will produce extra detail using its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-PL3 will be disadvantaged in sensor tech.