Panasonic GF3 vs Pentax K-3

Let's look closer at the Panasonic GF3 and Pentax K-3, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Advanced DSLR by companies Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a significant gap between the image resolutions of the GF3 (12MP) and K-3 (24MP) and the GF3 (Four Thirds) and K-3 (APS-C) feature different sensor measurements.

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The GF3 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the K-3 and that is quite a sizable gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras offer different body type with the Panasonic GF3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a simple introduction of how the GF3 grades against the K-3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 and Pentax K-3. The entire galleries are provided at Panasonic GF3 Gallery and Pentax K-3 Gallery.

If you're looking to carry your camera often, you will want to take into account its weight and volume. The Panasonic GF3 has physical measurements of 108mm x 67mm x 32mm (4.3" x 2.6" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 264 grams (0.58 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 has sizing of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Analyze the Panasonic GF3 and Pentax K-3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you use at the time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the GF3 compared to the K-3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the GF3 and K-3 is 90 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to picture the gap between sensor sizing only by reading through a spec sheet. The graphic below will help give you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the GF3 and K-3.

Clearly, both the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The GF3 due to its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-3 will give you extra detail due to its extra 12MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop images a little more aggressively. The older GF3 is going to be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.