What is the pixel pitch of the Pentax K-3?

The Pentax K-3 provides 24.1 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 3.90µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Pentax K-3 measures 23.5mm in width and 15.6mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 367 mm². Moreover, the K-3 has 6 016 horizontal pixels and 4 000 vertical pixels, for a total of 24.1 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (367 mm²) to the MP count (24 064 000).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Pentax K-3 to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Pentax K-3	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.7	13.4	1216	80
2.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926	68
3.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
4.		Pentax K-3 II	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.6	13.6	1106	80
5.		Pentax K-5	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/25p	23.7	14.1	1162	82
6.		Pentax K-5 II	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/25p	23.8	14.1	1235	82
7.		Pentax K-70	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	23.8	13.1	1639	80
8.		Pentax KP	APS-C	24.1	6016	4000	1080/60i	23.9	13.2	1699	81
9.		Sony A77	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.0	13.2	801	78
10.		Sony A99	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	14.0	1555	89
11.		Sony RX10	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.9	12.6	474	69
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Further information on the sensor in the Pentax K-3 and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the K-3 was initially launched in October 2013 at a price of $1,299.

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Camera to camera comparisons

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