Pentax K-3 vs Ricoh CX3

In this article, we are looking at the Pentax K-3 and Ricoh CX3, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by competitors Pentax and Ricoh. There exists a sizable gap among the sensor resolutions of the K-3 (24MP) and CX3 (10MP) and the K-3 (APS-C) and CX3 (1/2.3") possess different sensor sizing.

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The K-3 was released 3 years later than the CX3 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Pentax K-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Ricoh CX3 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a more detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the K-3 matches up versus the CX3 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax K-3 & Ricoh CX3. The complete galleries are available at Pentax K-3 Gallery & Ricoh CX3 Gallery.

If you are planning to lug around your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Pentax K-3 provides external dimensions 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 Ricoh CX3 has specifications of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") and a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Check out the Pentax K-3 and Ricoh CX3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with during that time. Below is the front view measurement comparison of the K-3 vs the CX3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the K-3 and CX3 is 59 and 92 respectively.

Sometimes, it's hard to visualize the contrast in sensor measurements only by viewing specs. The graphic here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor dimensions in the K-3 and CX3.

All in all, the two cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The K-3 due to its larger sensor is going to make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax K-3 will render extra detail as a result of its extra 14 Megapixels. Greater resolution will enable you to crop photos a little more aggressively. The younger K-3 should have an edge in sensor technology.