Olympus E-PL7 vs Pentax K-3 II

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Olympus E-PL7 vs Pentax K-3 II

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

Go in depth with our full Olympus E-PL7 Review.
How does it shoot? Olympus E-PL7 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the E-PL7.
Compare Olympus E-PL7 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Olympus E-PL7 conclusion.

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

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

Succeeded by the Olympus E-PL8
Compare E-PL7 vs E-PL8

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

Compare OLYMPUS E-PL8 vs PENTAX K-3 III

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Differences

Olympus E-PL7 advantages over Pentax K-3 II

Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.2 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
Thinner
38 mm vs 77 mm
Thinner
Longer exposure
60 vs 30 sec
Long exposures for night shots

Pentax K-3 II advantages over Olympus E-PL7

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
High resolution composite
Yes vs No
Combine multiple shots to form a super hi-res version
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 II test data on DxO Mark E-PL7 test data on DxO Mark

1,106 vs 873 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
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

720 vs 350 shots
Capture more photos
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
Bigger JPEG buffer
60 vs 24 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster shutter
1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
Shoot wide open in bright light
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
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
On-sensor phase detect
Neither provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

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Read E-PL7 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read K-3 II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Excellent image quality for its class including very good ISO performance; Improved performance and ergonomics over the E-PL5; LCD tilts 180 degree downward for easier selfies; Upgraded 3-axis IS system.
No built-in flash (but a small add-on flash is included); No built-in EVF; Default colors somewhat muted; Somewhat quirky menu system.
Read our Olympus E-PL7 Review

Top-notch image quality; Spectacular detail from Pixel Shift Resolution; Better performance than K-3; Geotag images with no accessories; Great ergonomics in a compact body; Clever on-demand low-pass filtering; Broad sensitivity range; Large and bright viewfinder for an APS-C camera; Dual card slots
No built-in flash strobe; No wireless flash support out of the box; AstroTracer function can be finicky; AE Lock button is poorly located; Below-average battery life for a prosumer DSLR; Requires a different battery grip accessory than its predecessors
Read our Pentax K-3 II Review

The Competition

Compared to Olympus E-PL5

Olympus E-PL7

Olympus E-PL5

$399
4/3

Focus peaking
Fast startup

$329
4/3

Compare Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus E-PL5

Pentax K-3 II

Olympus E-PL5

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$329
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Olympus E-PL5

Compared to Panasonic GF6

Olympus E-PL7

Panasonic GF6

$399
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$400
4/3

In-camera panoramas
NFC

Compare Olympus E-PL7 vs Panasonic GF6

Pentax K-3 II

Panasonic GF6

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$400
4/3

Touchscreen
In-camera panoramas

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Panasonic GF6

Compared to Canon T6i

Olympus E-PL7

Canon T6i

$399
4/3

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$699
APS-C

Tilt-swivel screen
Larger sensor

Compare Olympus E-PL7 vs Canon T6i

Pentax K-3 II

Canon T6i

$830
APS-C

Focus peaking
Larger sensor

$699
APS-C

Less expensive
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Canon T6i

Compared to Olympus E-PL8

Olympus E-PL7

Olympus E-PL8

$399
4/3

$599
4/3

Compare Olympus E-PL7 vs Olympus E-PL8

Pentax K-3 II

Olympus E-PL8

$830
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

$599
4/3

Touchscreen
Tiltable Screen

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Olympus E-PL8

Compared to Pentax KP

Olympus E-PL7

Pentax KP

$399
4/3

Touchscreen
Fast startup

$999
APS-C

Larger sensor
Eye-level viewfinder

Compare Olympus E-PL7 vs Pentax KP

Pentax K-3 II

Pentax KP

$830
APS-C

Less expensive
Built-in GPS

$999
APS-C

Tiltable Screen
Built-in Wi-Fi

Compare Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax KP

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