Pentax K-3 vs Pentax E85

On this page, we are reviewing the Pentax K-3 vs Pentax E85, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both of them are built by Pentax. There exists a substantial gap between the resolutions of the K-3 (24MP) and E85 (12MP) and the K-3 (APS-C) and E85 (1/2.3") boast different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The K-3 was introduced 4 years after the E85 which is quite a big difference as far as technology is concerned. Each of the cameras have different body design with the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax E85 being a Compact camera.

Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the K-3 scores vs the E85 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax K-3 & Pentax Optio E85. The whole galleries are provided at Pentax K-3 Gallery & Pentax E85 Gallery.

If you're planning to travel with your camera often, you are going to need to take into account its weight and dimensions. The Pentax K-3 provides external measurements of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") having a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) whilst the Pentax E85 has dimensions of 93mm x 58mm x 24mm (3.7" x 2.3" x 0.9") with a weight of 145 grams (0.32 lbs).

See the Pentax K-3 vs Pentax E85 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have chosen at that moment. Below is a front view over all size comparison of the K-3 against the E85.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the K-3 and E85 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Typically, it is tough to picture the gap between sensor dimensions only by reviewing specs. The pic below will provide you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the K-3 and E85.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras have different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The K-3 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field easier and the Pentax K-3 will deliver more detail using its extra 12MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more modern K-3 should have an edge when it comes to sensor tech.