Pentax K-3 vs Pentax P80

Let's look more in depth at the Pentax K-3 vs Pentax P80, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Compact and both are manufactured by Pentax. There exists a substantial gap among the resolutions of the K-3 (24MP) and P80 (12MP) and the K-3 (APS-C) and P80 (1/2.3") provide totally different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The K-3 was introduced 4 years later than the P80 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera 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 P80 being a Compact camera.

Before we go into a complete comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the K-3 scores vs the P80 when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax K-3 & Pentax Optio P80. The whole galleries are available at Pentax K-3 Gallery & Pentax P80 Gallery.

When you are planning to carry your camera often, you will have to factor its weight and proportions. The Pentax K-3 comes with exterior dimensions of 131mm x 100mm x 77mm (5.2" x 3.9" x 3.0") along with a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Pentax P80 has measurements of 102mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.0") with a weight of 125 grams (0.28 lbs).

Check the Pentax K-3 vs Pentax P80 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary based on the lens you are utilising at that moment. Here is a front view overall size comparison of the K-3 and the P80.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the K-3 and P80 is 59 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor sizing merely by checking out a spec sheet. The visual here will help provide you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the K-3 and P80.

As you can see, the two cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The K-3 with its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF less difficult and the Pentax K-3 will provide more detail using its extra 12MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop images more aggressively. The newer K-3 will have an edge when it comes to sensor innovation.