Olympus XZ-1 vs Pentax K-3

Below is a extensive analysis of the Olympus XZ-1 versus Pentax K-3, former being a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Advanced DSLR by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the XZ-1 (10MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the XZ-1 (1/1.63") and K-3 (APS-C) have different sensor size.

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The XZ-1 was released 4 years before the K-3 and that is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus XZ-1 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before delving into a more detailed comparison, here is a quick summary of how the XZ-1 matches up against the K-3 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus XZ-1 & Pentax K-3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus XZ-1 Gallery & Pentax K-3 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to lug around your camera, you're going to have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus XZ-1 features external measurements of 111mm x 65mm x 42mm (4.4" x 2.6" x 1.7") along with a weight of 275 grams (0.61 lbs) and the Pentax K-3 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).

Take a look at the Olympus XZ-1 versus Pentax K-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view overall size comparison of the XZ-1 versus the K-3.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the XZ-1 and K-3 is 88 and 59 respectively.

Often, it's tough to picture the contrast between sensor measurements only by going over a spec sheet. The visual below may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the XZ-1 and K-3.

Clearly, the two cameras feature different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The XZ-1 because of its tinier sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will deliver greater detail as a result of its extra 14MP. Higher resolution will make it easier to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older XZ-1 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.