Olympus E-PM1 vs Pentax K-3

Below is a in-depth analysis of the Olympus E-PM1 versus Pentax K-3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by competitors Olympus and Pentax. There exists a crucial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-PM1 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-PM1 was manufactured 3 years before the K-3 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving straight into a comprehensive comparison, below is a quick highlight of how the E-PM1 matches up versus the K-3 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus PEN E-PM1 and Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-PM1 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera often, you're going to have to think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-PM1 offers outside dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-PM1 versus Pentax K-3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you have attached during that time. Below is the front view overall size comparison of the E-PM1 vs the K-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-PM1 and K-3 is 89 and 59 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to see the contrast in sensor measurements merely by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph below might give you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-PM1 and K-3.

Clearly, both of these cameras have got different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-PM1 featuring a smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field harder and the Pentax K-3 will provide extra detail due to its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also allow you to crop pictures much more aggressively. The older E-PM1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.