Panasonic S3 vs Pentax K-3 II

On this page, we will be evaluating the Panasonic S3 versus Pentax K-3 II, one being a Small Sensor Compact and the latter is a Advanced DSLR by rivals Panasonic and Pentax. There exists a significant gap among the sensor resolutions of the S3 (14MP) and K-3 II (24MP) and the S3 (1/2.3") and K-3 II (APS-C) provide totally different sensor sizes.

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The S3 was announced 5 years before the K-3 II and that is a fairly sizable gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Panasonic S3 being a Compact camera and the Pentax K-3 II being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going straight to a comprehensive comparison, here is a brief view of how the S3 scores against the K-3 II in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery images for Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 and Pentax K-3 II. The whole galleries are available at Panasonic S3 Gallery and Pentax K-3 II Gallery.

For those who are going to carry your camera, you will need to think about its weight and proportions. The Panasonic S3 enjoys outside measurements of 99mm x 59mm x 21mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.8") having a weight of 117 grams (0.26 lbs) whilst the Pentax K-3 II has measurements of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs).

Check the Panasonic S3 versus Pentax K-3 II in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Here is a front view scale comparison of the S3 compared to the K-3 II.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the S3 and K-3 II is 96 and 59 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizing merely by researching technical specs. The visual here might provide you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the S3 and K-3 II.

As you have seen, the two cameras have different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The S3 with its smaller sensor will make getting shallower depth of field more difficult and the Pentax K-3 II will result in greater detail with its extra 10MP. Higher resolution will let you crop pictures a bit more aggressively. The older S3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.