Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-3 II

In this article, we are looking at the Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-3 II, one is a Small Sensor Superzoom and the other is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a huge difference among the sensor resolutions of the SH-3 (16MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the SH-3 (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) feature different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The SH-3 was revealed 10 months after the K-3 II so they are of a similar generation. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the SH-3 matches up vs the K-3 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus Stylus SH-3 and Pentax K-3 II. The full galleries are provided at Olympus SH-3 Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

When you are intending to carry around your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus SH-3 has got outside measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") along with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 II has dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

See the Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-3 II in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at the time. Following is the front view size comparison of the SH-3 versus the K-3 II.

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the SH-3 and K-3 II is 88 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it is hard to visualize the contrast in sensor sizes simply by researching specs. The picture here may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the SH-3 and K-3 II.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The SH-3 having a smaller sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-3 II will result in greater detail because of its extra 8 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also make it easier to crop photos a little more aggressively. The fresher SH-3 provides an advantage in sensor innovation.