Pentax K-500 vs Sony NEX-3

Here is a complete assessment of the Pentax K-500 vs Sony NEX-3, former being a Entry-Level DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Pentax and Sony. The image resolution of the K-500 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is very close and they come with the exact same sensor measurements (APS-C).

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The K-500 was revealed 3 years later than the NEX-3 and that is a fairly significant difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Pentax K-500 being a Compact SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before delving straight into a full comparison, below is a quick overview of how the K-500 matches up versus the NEX-3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Pentax K-500 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The full galleries are viewable at Pentax K-500 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For those who are intending to carry your camera regularly, you are going to need to factor its weight and dimensions. The Pentax K-500 provides exterior measurements of 130mm x 97mm x 71mm (5.1" x 3.8" x 2.8") and a weight of 646 grams (1.42 lbs) while the Sony NEX-3 has dimensions of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Contrast the Pentax K-500 vs Sony NEX-3 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have at that moment. Underneath is the front view overall size comparison of the K-500 and the NEX-3.

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the K-500 and NEX-3 is 64 and 89 respectively.

Typically, its hard to visualize the difference in sensor sizing just by looking through technical specs. The graphic below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the K-500 and NEX-3.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras posses the exact same sensor measurements but different megapixels. You can expect to see the Pentax K-500 to provide you with extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also allow you to crop images somewhat more aggressively. The fresher K-500 should have an advantage with regard to sensor innovation.