Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax ist DL2

The following is a in depth overview of the Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax ist DL2, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the resolutions of the E-PL3 (12MP) and ist DL2 (6MP) and the E-PL3 (Four Thirds) and ist DL2 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL3 was manufactured 5 years after the ist DL2 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax ist DL2 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting right into a in depth comparison, here is a simple view of how the E-PL3 grades against the ist DL2 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PL3 & Pentax ist DL2. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-PL3 Gallery & Pentax ist DL2 Gallery.

If you're looking to travel with your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-PL3 enjoys physical dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs) and the Pentax ist DL2 has dimensions of 125mm x 93mm x 66mm (4.9" x 3.7" x 2.6") having a weight of 565 grams (1.25 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-PL3 vs Pentax ist DL2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are utilising at the time. The following is a front view dimension comparison of the E-PL3 compared to the ist DL2.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability score of the E-PL3 and ist DL2 is 88 and 69 respectively.

Generally, it's hard to envision the contrast in sensor dimensions only by checking out specifications. The image below should give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL3 and ist DL2.

Plainly, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL3 due to its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Olympus E-PL3 will show extra detail due to its extra 6MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The younger E-PL3 will have an advantage in sensor technology.