Olympus E-PL8 vs Pentax K-3

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax K-3, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. There is a substantial difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-PL8 (16MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-PL8 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-PL8 was manufactured 2 years later than the K-3 and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. Each of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-PL8 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a thorough comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-PL8 grades against the K-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus PEN E-PL8 & Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PL8 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

When you are going to carry your camera frequently, you should factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL8 has physical dimensions of 115mm x 67mm x 38mm (4.5" x 2.6" x 1.5") with 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") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-PL8 versus Pentax K-3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use at that time. Following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-PL8 compared to the K-3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PL8 and K-3 is 86 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizing just by reading through specifications. The visual underneath might give you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PL8 and K-3.

Plainly, each of the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PL8 because of its tinier sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-3 will resolve more detail due to its extra 8 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures way more aggressively. The newer E-PL8 is going to have an edge in sensor tech.