Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-5 II

In this article, we will be contrasting the Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-5 II, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by companies Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the SH-3 (16MP) and the K-5 II (16MP) is relatively comparable but the SH-3 (1/2.3") and K-5 II (APS-C) possess totally different sensor dimensions.

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The SH-3 was unveiled 2 years after the K-5 II which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus SH-3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the SH-3 matches up against the K-5 II when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus Stylus SH-3 & Pentax K-5 II. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus SH-3 Gallery & Pentax K-5 II Gallery.

For anyone who is going to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus SH-3 comes with external measurements of 109mm x 63mm x 42mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.7") with a weight of 271 grams (0.60 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-5 II has proportions of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus SH-3 vs Pentax K-5 II in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you are using at the time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the SH-3 versus the K-5 II.

Taking into account size and weight, the portability score of the SH-3 and K-5 II is 88 and 60 respectively.

Usually, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor dimensions just by seeing specs. The pic below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor measurements in the SH-3 and K-5 II.

As you can plainly see, both cameras offer the same exact resolution albeit not the same sensor dimensions. The SH-3 has the smaller sensor which will make achieving shallower DOF trickier. The more recent SH-3 will have an advantage in sensor innovation.