Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax K-3

Following is a thorough review of the Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax K-3, one is a Advanced Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the PEN-F (20MP) and the K-3 (24MP) is fairly well matched but the PEN-F (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The PEN-F was launched 22 months after the K-3 making them a generation away from one another. The two cameras have different body design with the Olympus PEN-F being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick overview of how the PEN-F grades vs the K-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus PEN-F and Pentax K-3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus PEN-F Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera regularly, you have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus PEN-F provides outside dimensions of 125mm x 72mm x 37mm (4.9" x 2.8" x 1.5") with a weight of 427 grams (0.94 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 has specifications of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus PEN-F vs Pentax K-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you are using at the time. Below is a front view dimensions comparison of the PEN-F and the K-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability score of the PEN-F and K-3 is 84 and 59 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to visualise the contrast between sensor sizes purely by reading through technical specs. The picture below may provide you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the PEN-F and K-3.

As you can tell, each of these cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The PEN-F due to its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow DOF trickier and the Pentax K-3 will resolve extra detail utilizing its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop photos a bit more aggressively. The newer PEN-F is going to have a benefit in sensor innovation.