Originally posted by jatrax The k-5 and the k-3 use different sensors. When I first got the k-3 I was a little disappointed that the images were no better, and sometimes not as good as those from my k-5IIs. After a while I realized I was using the same PP presets on the k-3 as on the k-5IIs. But they are NOT the same. I started over from scratch and developed new presets just for the k-3 and now I can say I use the k-3 almost exclusively. I won't say the images from it blow the k-5 away but generally they are better and certainly have no reason to be poorer.
I've no idea what you have been looking at so it is possible those have the same problem mine did, or not. I put little faith in what I see on a screen on the internet. The resolution is downsized dramatically, you have no idea how the image was processed or if it was re-processed / re-sized by the website on upload. The only test I rely on is the one I do myself, with my gear, my subjects, my PP.
I've looked at at least 30 pages of photos in the K-5 and K-3 sections, so I'm assuming that the different combinations of photographers, lenses, settings, processing, etc. are balancing out. The K-3 takes excellent photos, but to me, the colors in the K-5iis photos look better, and there seems to be a clarity there that just gives them more punch. Maybe it's better contrast in the K-5iis, or something like that. I'm starting to think I should rent each one for a week and see which one I like more.