Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax K-3

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Olympus E-P5 vs Pentax K-3

Leave Feedback

4/3 224.9mm²
16.1 megapixels
ISO 200 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-P5 Review.
See real-world photos taken with the E-P5.

APS-C 366.6mm²
24.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 51,200

Go in depth with our full Pentax K-3 Review.
How does it shoot? Pentax K-3 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the K-3.
Compare Pentax K-3 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Pentax K-3 conclusion.

Succeeded by the Olympus E-P7
Compare E-P5 vs E-P7

Succeeded by the Pentax K-3 II
Compare K-3 vs K-3 II

Compare OLYMPUS E-P7 vs PENTAX K-3 II

Buy From

Differences

Olympus E-P5 advantages over Pentax K-3

Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Thinner
37 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Higher max flash sync
1/320 vs 1/180 sec
Reduce the effect of ambient light in flash shots
Lighter weight
545g vs 1240g
Lighter weight
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots
Faster JPEG shooting
9.9 fps vs 7.1 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
9.9 fps vs 7.1 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode

Pentax K-3 advantages over Olympus E-P5

Less expensive
$1150 vs $1450 (MSRP)
Save money for lenses or accessories
Larger sensor
APS-C vs 4/3
More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
Eye-level viewfinder
Eye-level vs Rear display only
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
K-3 test data on DxO Mark E-P5 test data on DxO Mark

1,216 vs 895 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

560 vs 330 shots
Capture more photos
More telephoto lens reach
203 mm vs 34 mm
Capture objects farther away with the kit lens
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
External Mic Jack
Jack vs No jack
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
Shoots 24p video
Yes vs No
Gives your movies a big-screen feel
More pixels
24.4 vs 16.1 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Shoots 60p video
Yes vs No
A faster framerate can give you more editing options
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Optional anti-aliasing filter
Optional vs Fixed
Lets you choose sharper photos or reduced moiré
Wider angle kit lens
27 mm vs 34 mm
Capture more of the scene with the included lens
Bigger JPEG buffer
75 vs 16 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 25600 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Focus peaking
Both provide
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Both provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Internal flash
Both provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
In-camera panoramas
Neither provide
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
NFC
Neither provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read E-P5 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 User Reviews

Buy From

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Olympus E-P5

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 17mm Lens

All E-P5 Deals

Your purchases support this site

Buy the Pentax K-3

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 18-135mm Lens

All K-3 Deals

Review Excerpt

Handsome retro styling; Very good image quality and dynamic range, with competitive high ISO performance; Lightning fast autofocusing; Excellent burst speeds (nearly 10fps at full res); Top shutter speed of 1/8000 second; Sharp, bright 17mm f/1.8 kit lens; 3-inch tilting touchscreen LCD with 1.04M dots of resolution.
Heavier than some mirrorless models; Weak flash; Below average battery life; No built-in viewfinder (but EVF available in a kit or for separate purchase); A bit pricey compared to the similar E-M5, which offers a built-in EVF and weather sealing at about the same price.
Read our Olympus E-P5 Review

Top-notch image quality; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Unique on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots; Optional Wi-Fi remote control
AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a DSLR; Rather dated-looking menu system; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors; Less third-party support than some rivals
Read our Pentax K-3 Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-P3

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-P3

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
Touchscreen

$561
4/3

Less expensive
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus E-P3

Pentax K-3

Olympus E-P3

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$561
4/3

Less expensive
Thinner

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Olympus E-P3

Compared to Olympus E-M5

Olympus E-P5

Olympus E-M5

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
Built-in Wi-Fi

$900
4/3

Eye-level viewfinder
More telephoto lens reach

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Olympus E-M5

Pentax K-3

Olympus E-M5

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$900
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Olympus E-M5

Compared to Nikon D7100

Olympus E-P5

Nikon D7100

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$690
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Nikon D7100

Pentax K-3

Nikon D7100

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$690
APS-C

Fast startup
Longer stills battery life

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Nikon D7100

Compared to Panasonic GX7

Olympus E-P5

Panasonic GX7

$1249
4/3

Higher effective ISO
Thinner

$648
4/3

Less expensive
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Panasonic GX7

Pentax K-3

Panasonic GX7

$699
APS-C

Larger sensor
Higher effective ISO

$648
4/3

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Panasonic GX7

Compared to Nikon D7200

Olympus E-P5

Nikon D7200

$1249
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1016
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-P5 vs Nikon D7200

Pentax K-3

Nikon D7200

$699
APS-C

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1016
APS-C

Fast startup
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Pentax K-3 vs Nikon D7200

Compare Other Cameras?