Olympus E-3 vs Olympus E-PL3

Following is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus E-PL3, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both manufactured by Olympus. The sensor resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the E-PL3 (12MP) is fairly close and they possess the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was manufactured 4 years earlier than the E-PL3 which is a fairly sizable difference as far as camera tech is concerned. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going through a full comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-3 grades versus the E-PL3 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 & Olympus PEN E-PL3. The entire galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Olympus E-PL3 Gallery.

If you are intending to carry around your camera often, you are going to need to consider its weight and volume. The Olympus E-3 offers exterior measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL3 has sizing of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") accompanied by a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-3 versus Olympus E-PL3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you select at the time. Below is the front view measurements comparison of the E-3 and the E-PL3.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and E-PL3 is 56 and 88 respectively.

Usually, it can be difficult to imagine the difference in sensor sizes simply by researching specs. The pic below may give you a better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and E-PL3.

All in all, both of the cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements but different resolution. You can anticipate the Olympus E-PL3 to render more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Greater resolution will help you crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-3 will be behind when it comes to sensor technology.