Olympus E-3 vs Olympus SP-590 UZ

Below, we are contrasting the Olympus E-3 and Olympus SP-590 UZ, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom and both are manufactured by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the SP-590 UZ (12MP) is fairly similar but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and SP-590 UZ (1/2.3") feature different sensor sizing.

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The E-3 was revealed 10 months before the SP-590 UZ so they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus SP-590 UZ being a SLR-like (bridge) camera.

Before delving through a detailed comparison, below is a simple summation of how the E-3 scores against the SP-590 UZ in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 & Olympus SP-590 UZ. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Olympus SP-590 UZ Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to carry around your camera, you should think about its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 offers outer dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Olympus SP-590 UZ has specifications of 116mm x 84mm x 81mm (4.6" x 3.3" x 3.2") and a weight of 413 grams (0.91 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 and Olympus SP-590 UZ in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at that time. Following is the front view dimension comparison of the E-3 against the SP-590 UZ.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and SP-590 UZ is 56 and 72 respectively.

Normally, it can be hard to picture the gap between sensor sizes only by going over a spec sheet. The picture underneath might provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and SP-590 UZ.

As you can see, each of these cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-3 having a larger sensor is going to make shooting shallow DOF simpler and the Olympus SP-590 UZ will offer you more detail because of its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images much more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor tech.