Olympus E-3 vs Pentax I-10

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax I-10, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by competitors Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the I-10 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and I-10 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was manufactured 23 months earlier than the I-10 which makes the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax I-10 being a Compact camera.

Before going through a step-by-step comparison, below is a concise introduction of how the E-3 matches up vs the I-10 in regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Optio I-10. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax I-10 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry your camera often, you'll have to consider its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 provides outer 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) and the Pentax I-10 has measurements of 101mm x 65mm x 28mm (4.0" x 2.6" x 1.1") accompanied by a weight of 153 grams (0.34 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 versus Pentax I-10 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you are working with at that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-3 versus the I-10.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and I-10 is 56 and 93 respectively.

Sometimes, it can be hard to visualise the gap in sensor sizing only by seeing technical specs. The photograph below might provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and I-10.

As you have seen, each of these cameras offer different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-3 featuring a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax I-10 will produce more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop pictures a little more aggressively. The older E-3 will be behind in sensor tech.