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Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3 Comparison

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Canon ELPH 150 IS

20 MP | 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD Sensor

Canon ELPH 150 IS
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Pentax K-3

24 MP | APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) CMOS Sensor

Pentax K-3
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Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3 Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon ELPH 150 IS, which was introduced in February 2014 is a Ultracompact camera with a 20.0MP 1/2.3" sensor whereas Pentax K-3, which was introduced in April 2014 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 24.0MP APS-C sensor. There is only 2 months difference between ELPH 150 IS and K-3 so we are expecting this to be a fair comparison regarding age and technology level.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon ELPH 150 IS Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-02-12
  • 20MP - 1/2.3" CCD Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • 24-240 mm F3.0-6.9 Zoom Lens
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 2.7" Fixed Type Screen
  • 1 fps continuous shooting
  • HD - 1280 x 720 video resolution
  • 142g. 95 x 57 x 24 mm
  • Also known as IXUS 155

Pentax K-3 Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2014-04-10
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 51200
  • Pentax KAF2 Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3.2" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 8 fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 800g. 131 x 100 x 77 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Pentax K-3 was replaced by Pentax K-3 II. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Pentax K-3 II vs Pentax K-3
Pentax K-3 II vs Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS (IXUS 155)

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS over Pentax K-3
Weight
142 g vs 800 g 658 g lighter


Reasons to choose Pentax K-3 over Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs No Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs No Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Max Sensor Resolution
24 MP vs 20 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO
51.200 vs 1.600 3100% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points
27 vs 9 18 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 2.7" 0.5 inches larger display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.037k dots vs 230k dots 350% higher resolution screen
Max Mech. Shutter
1/8000s vs 1/2000s faster mechanical shutter
Continuous Shooting
8.0fps vs 1.0fps 7 fps faster
Battery Life
560 shots vs 230 shots 330 more frames with a single charge
Manual Exposure
Yes vs No better exposure control
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Flash Coverage
13.0m vs 4.0m 9m longer range
Sensor Pixel Area
15.24µm2 vs 1.41µm2 980% larger pixel area
Max Video Resolution
1920 x 1080 vs 1280 x 720 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Anti Alias Filter Simulator
Yes vs No Turn on Anti Alias filter effect to minimise Moire
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot

Common Strengths of Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3
Image Stabilization
Optical vs Sensor-shift Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash
Yes vs Yes Useful in low-light
Max Resolution
20 MP vs 24 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
2.7" vs 3.2" Large display
Common Weaknesses of Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No No flexible viewing angles
Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon ELPH 150 IS has external dimensions of 95 x 57 x 24 mm (3.74 x 2.24 x 0.94″) and weighs 142 g (0.31 lb / 5.01 oz) (including batteries). Pentax K-3 has external dimensions of 131 x 100 x 77 mm (5.16 x 3.94 x 3.03″) and weighs 800 g (1.76 lb / 28.22 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3. Canon ELPH 150 IS is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 36mm narrower, 43mm shorter and 53mm thinner than Pentax K-3. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Canon ELPH 150 IS has a built-in lens but Pentax K-3 doesn't. Once you put a lens on K-3, its thickness will increase significantly.

Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3 Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3.

Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3 Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3.
Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3 Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon ELPH 150 IS is significantly lighter (658g ) than the Pentax K-3 which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on K-3, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

Thanks to the weather sealed body of K-3, you can use this camera with more confidence under conditions where there is risk of exposure to water and dust compared to ELPH 150 IS.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Pentax K-3's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon ELPH 150 IS's 2.7" screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.
Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3: Sensor Comparison

Canon ELPH 150 IS has a 20.0MP 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm ) sized CCD sensor and features Digic 4+ processor. On the other hand, Pentax K-3 has a 24.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Prime III processor.

One other difference between these two cameras that is worth mentioning is that Pentax K-3's sensor doesn't have an anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the ELPH 150 IS and K-3 sensor size comparison.

Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3 Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 Cameras


As seen above, Pentax K-3 has a 13.1x Larger sensor area than Canon ELPH 150 IS. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon ELPH 150 IS for Portrait Photography

POOR

Pentax K-3 for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
Image Stabilization
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon ELPH 150 IS for Street Photography

AVERAGE

Pentax K-3 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Small Body
Live-view
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Large Body
Read the details

Canon ELPH 150 IS for Sports Photography

POOR

Pentax K-3 for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
240 mm Tele Lens
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.0fps
Environmental Sealings
9 Focus Points
Poor Battery Life: 230 shots
Slow Lens at Tele: f6.90
Read the details
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 8.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
25 Cross Type Focus sensors
27 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 560 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Read the details

Canon ELPH 150 IS for Daily Photography

GOOD

Pentax K-3 for Daily Photography

GOOD
Compact Body
142g
10.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
800g
Body Thickness 77mm
Read the details

Canon ELPH 150 IS for Landscape Photography

POOR

Pentax K-3 for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE
Very High Resolution Sensor: 20.0MP
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55 mm) sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details
Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Canon ELPH 150 IS vs Pentax K-3: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon ELPH 150 IS and Pentax K-3 scores compare:

Canon ELPH 150 IS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #94 out of 155 in Ultracompact cameras
Ranked #1051 out of 1223 in all Cameras
Pentax K-3
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #18 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #70 out of 1223 in all Cameras

Pentax K-3 is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon ELPH 150 IS in all criteria except one: Portability.
If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Canon ELPH 150 IS. Otherwise, Pentax K-3 is the better camera overall.

Canon ELPH 150 IS
Canon ELPH 150 IS
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Pentax K-3
Pentax K-3
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Pentax K-3 vs Canon ELPH 150 IS Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon PowerShot ELPH 150 IS Pentax K-3
Brand Canon Pentax
Announced 2014-02-12 2014-04-10
Body Type Ultracompact Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CCD CMOS
Size 1/2.3" APS-C
Dimensions 6.17 x 4.55 mm 23.5 x 15.6 mm
Area 28.07mm2 366.60mm2
Megapixels 20 megapixels 24 megapixels
Max Resolution 5152 x 3864 6016 x 4000
Max Native Light sensitivity 1,600 ISO 51,200 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 9 27
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount fixed lens Pentax KAF2
Lens Focal Range 24-240 mm (10×) no lens
Max Aperture F3.0-6.9 no lens
Macro Focus Range 1cm no lens
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 2.7" 3.2"
Resolution 230k dots 1,037k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder None Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage n/a 100%
Viewfinder Magnification n/a 0.64x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/2000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Optical Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 4.00 m 13.00 m (at ISO 100)
Max Flash Sync n/a 1/180s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 1.0 fps 8.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720 1920 x 1080
Video Formats H.264 MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity None None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 142g 800g
Dimensions 95 x 57 x 24mm 131 x 100 x 77mm
Battery Life 230 shots 560 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None Optional
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 80
DxO Color Depth not tested 23.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 13.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 1216
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