Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax K-3

Following is a extended assessment of the Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax K-3, one is a Ultracompact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Pentax. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the VG-120 (14MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the VG-120 (1/2.3") and K-3 (APS-C) use totally different sensor dimensions.

Body cameras now worn by bakery staff to deter stealing

The VG-120 was introduced 4 years prior to the K-3 which is quite a big gap as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus VG-120 being a Ultracompact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before getting through a in depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the VG-120 scores vs the K-3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus VG-120 and Pentax K-3. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus VG-120 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anybody who is intending to carry around your camera, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus VG-120 provides exterior dimensions of 96mm x 57mm x 19mm (3.8" x 2.2" x 0.7") with a weight of 120 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 has proportions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Examine the Olympus VG-120 vs Pentax K-3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you select at that time. Underneath is the front view sizing comparison of the VG-120 compared to the K-3.

Considering size and weight, the portability rating of the VG-120 and K-3 is 96 and 59 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to visualise the gap between sensor sizes merely by looking at specs. The picture underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the VG-120 and K-3.

As you can plainly see, the two cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor sizes. The VG-120 using its tinier sensor will make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will give greater detail using its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged VG-120 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.