Olympus E-PL9 vs Pentax K-3

Below is a extensive overview of the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax K-3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap between the resolutions of the E-PL9 (16MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-PL9 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) enjoy different sensor dimensions.

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The E-PL9 was brought out 3 years later than the K-3 and that is quite a serious gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-PL9 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a detailed comparison, below is a simple overview of how the E-PL9 scores against the K-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN E-PL9 and Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-PL9 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anybody who is planning to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-PL9 provides outside measurements of 117mm x 68mm x 39mm (4.6" x 2.7" x 1.5") along with a weight of 380 grams (0.84 lbs) while 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).

Compare the Olympus E-PL9 and Pentax K-3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-PL9 versus the K-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-PL9 and K-3 is 85 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualize the difference between sensor measurements merely by reviewing a spec sheet. The visual here will help offer you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-PL9 and K-3.

Clearly, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-PL9 featuring a tinier sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more challenging and the Pentax K-3 will offer more detail having its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop pics a little more aggressively. The more modern E-PL9 should have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.