Olympus E-1 vs Olympus E-3

Lets look more in depth at the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-3, former being a Pro DSLR while the latter is a Advanced DSLR and both are built by Olympus. There is a noticeable difference among the sensor resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and E-3 (10MP) but both cameras offer the identical sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-1 was unveiled 5 years before the E-3 and that is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before going into a in depth comparison, here is a simple highlight of how the E-1 scores against the E-3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-1 & Olympus E-3. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-1 Gallery & Olympus E-3 Gallery.

If you are going to carry your camera often, you'll have to take into account its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-1 enjoys outside measurements of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") accompanied by a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) whilst the Olympus E-3 has measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-1 and Olympus E-3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you use at the time. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-1 compared to the E-3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability score of the E-1 and E-3 is 59 and 56 respectively.

Often, it is tough to picture the difference in sensor sizing simply by checking out specifications. The graphic here might offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-1 and E-3.

To sum up, both cameras feature the identical sensor size albeit different resolution. You can expect the Olympus E-3 to produce extra detail having an extra 5 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs way more aggressively. The older E-1 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor innovation.