Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax K10D

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus E-PL3 versus Pentax K10D, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-PL3 (12MP) and the K10D (10MP) is fairly well matched but the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and K10D (APS-C) use different sensor size.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 4 years later than the K10D and that is quite a sizable difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K10D being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go in to a full comparison, below is a simple summary of how the E-PL3 grades against the K10D in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Pentax K10D. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Pentax K10D Gallery.

If you're intending to lug around your camera often, you are going to need to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PL3 comes with outer dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") with a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) whilst the Pentax K10D has proportions of 142mm x 101mm x 70mm (5.6" x 4.0" x 2.8") accompanied by a weight of 793 grams (1.75 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-PL3 versus Pentax K10D in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is the front view measurements comparison of the E-PL3 against the K10D.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and K10D is 88 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to picture the difference between sensor measurements only by checking specifications. The photograph underneath should give you a greater sense of the sensor sizes in the E-PL3 and K10D.

Plainly, each of the cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL3 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-PL3 will give more detail due to its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The younger E-PL3 should have an advantage when it comes to sensor tech.