Pentax K-5 II vs Sony NEX-3

Below, we are matching up the Pentax K-5 II vs Sony NEX-3, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Pentax and Sony. The resolution of the K-5 II (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is fairly comparable and they use the exact same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The K-5 II was introduced 3 years later than the NEX-3 and that is a fairly serious gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Pentax K-5 II being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a quick view of how the K-5 II scores against the NEX-3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Pentax K-5 II and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are available at Pentax K-5 II Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera regularly, you are going to need to think about its weight and measurements. The Pentax K-5 II offers external measurements of 131mm x 97mm x 73mm (5.2" x 3.8" x 2.9") and a weight of 760 grams (1.68 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has proportions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") having a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Check out the Pentax K-5 II vs Sony NEX-3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are using at that moment. Underneath is the front view over all size comparison of the K-5 II vs the NEX-3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the K-5 II and NEX-3 is 60 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, it is very difficult to envision the gap in sensor measurements merely by going through specs. The graphic here may give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the K-5 II and NEX-3.

All in all, each of these cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but not the same megapixels. You should anticipate the Pentax K-5 II to show greater detail using its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more recent K-5 II is going to have a benefit with regard to sensor technology.