Samsung NX100 has a 15.0MP APS-C (23.4 x 15.6 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DRIMe Engine 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.
Pentax K-3's sensor provides 9MP more than Samsung NX100's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
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 NX100 and K-3 sensor size comparison.
![Samsung NX100 vs Pentax K-3 Sensor Size Comparison]()
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Samsung NX100 and Pentax K-3 Cameras
Samsung NX100 and Pentax K-3 have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Samsung NX100 and Pentax K-3 sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that K-3 has a better overall score of 80, 18 points higher compared to NX100's score of 62.
| Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
|
Samsung NX100 |
62 |
22.6 bits |
10.7 Evs |
563 ISO |
|
Pentax K-3 |
80 |
23.7 bits |
13.4 Evs |
1216 ISO |