Olympus E-1 vs Sony G3

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-1 and Sony G3, one being a Pro DSLR and the other is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a huge gap between the image resolutions of the E-1 (5MP) and G3 (10MP) and the E-1 (Four Thirds) and G3 (1/2.3") have totally different sensor sizes.

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The E-1 was introduced 6 years prior to the G3 and that is quite a significant gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-1 being a Large SLR camera and the Sony G3 being a Compact camera.

Before we go right into a complete comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-1 scores against the G3 for portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-1 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-G3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-1 Gallery and Sony G3 Gallery.

When you are planning to lug around your camera, you should factor in its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-1 provides physical dimensions of 141mm x 104mm x 81mm (5.6" x 4.1" x 3.2") along with a weight of 735 grams (1.62 lbs) and the Sony G3 has proportions of 97mm x 59mm x 22mm (3.8" x 2.3" x 0.9") accompanied by a weight of 185 grams (0.41 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-1 and Sony G3 in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Underneath is a front view overall size comparison of the E-1 compared to the G3.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-1 and G3 is 59 and 94 respectively.

Normally, it is very hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements just by looking at a spec sheet. The graphic here will help offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizes in the E-1 and G3.

As you can see, the two cameras have different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-1 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF easier and the Sony G3 will give you greater detail using its extra 5 Megapixels. Greater resolution can also enable you to crop images a bit more aggressively. The older E-1 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor innovation.