Olympus E-PL7 vs Pentax K-3

The following is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-PL7 and Pentax K-3, former is a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the other is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference among the image resolutions of the E-PL7 (16MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-PL7 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) offer totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-PL7 was announced 5 months after the K-3 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL7 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a thorough comparison, here is a short introduction of how the E-PL7 scores versus the K-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL7 & Pentax K-3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-PL7 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you're aiming to travel with your camera, you should think about its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL7 features outer measurements of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") having a weight of 357 grams (0.79 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 has measurements of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus E-PL7 and Pentax K-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you have chosen at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the E-PL7 against the K-3.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL7 and K-3 is 86 and 59 respectively.

Usually, it can be tough to see the contrast in sensor dimensions purely by checking out a spec sheet. The picture below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PL7 and K-3.

As you can see, both the cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-PL7 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower DOF harder and the Pentax K-3 will produce greater detail with its extra 8MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images way more aggressively.