Pentax K-3 III vs Sony NEX-5

Let's look a bit more closely at the Pentax K-3 III versus Sony NEX-5, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Pentax and Sony. There exists a sizable gap between the image resolutions of the K-3 III (26MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) but both cameras posses the same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

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The K-3 III was manufactured 10 years later than the NEX-5 and that is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-3 III being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summation of how the K-3 III grades vs the NEX-5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Pentax K-3 Mark III & Sony Alpha NEX-5. The entire galleries are available at Pentax K-3 III Gallery & Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

For anyone who is intending to lug around your camera frequently, you have to think about its weight and dimensions. The Pentax K-3 III offers exterior dimensions of 135mm x 104mm x 74mm (5.3" x 4.1" x 2.9") accompanied by a weight of 820 grams (1.81 lbs) and the Sony NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Analyze the Pentax K-3 III versus Sony NEX-5 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view sizing comparison of the K-3 III vs the NEX-5.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the K-3 III and NEX-5 is 58 and 89 respectively.

Normally, it is difficult to visualise the difference between sensor measurements only by reading through specifications. The photograph below should give you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the K-3 III and NEX-5.

To sum up, the two cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same resolution. You can count on the Pentax K-3 III to give you greater detail due to its extra 12MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop photographs a bit more aggressively. The more recent K-3 III will have an advantage in sensor innovation.