Canon SX220 HS vs Olympus E-PL3

The following is a extensive assessment of the Canon SX220 HS and Olympus E-PL3, former is a Small Sensor Superzoom while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Canon and Olympus. The resolution of the SX220 HS (12MP) and the E-PL3 (12MP) is fairly comparable but the SX220 HS (1/2.3") and E-PL3 (Four Thirds) offer different sensor measurements.

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The SX220 HS was brought out 7 months earlier than the E-PL3 so they are of a similar age. The two cameras have different body design with the Canon SX220 HS being a Compact camera and the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a full comparison, here is a simple summary of how the SX220 HS scores against the E-PL3 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Below is a sample of the gallery pictures for Canon SX220 HS & Olympus PEN E-PL3. The entire galleries are provided at Canon SX220 HS Gallery & Olympus E-PL3 Gallery.

For anybody who is looking to travel with your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and proportions. The Canon SX220 HS comes with outer measurements of 106mm x 59mm x 33mm (4.2" x 2.3" x 1.3") having a weight of n/a grams (0.00 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL3 has measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check the Canon SX220 HS and Olympus E-PL3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is a front view over all size comparison of the SX220 HS vs the E-PL3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the SX220 HS and E-PL3 is 96 and 88 respectively.

Usually, its hard to imagine the gap in sensor dimensions only by going through specs. The image here might give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the SX220 HS and E-PL3.

All in all, both of these cameras have the same MP but different sensor dimensions. The SX220 HS offers the smaller sensor which will make obtaining shallow depth of field more challenging. The more aged SX220 HS will be behind in sensor technology.