Olympus E-3 vs Pentax VS20

Below, we are comparing the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax VS20, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by brands Olympus and Pentax. There is a large difference between the resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and VS20 (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and VS20 (1/2.3") feature totally different sensor dimensions.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was announced 4 years before the VS20 which is quite a serious difference as far as tech is concerned. Both of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax VS20 being a Compact camera.

Before getting straight into a thorough comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-3 scores vs the VS20 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 & Pentax Optio VS20. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Pentax VS20 Gallery.

If you're intending to carry around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-3 enjoys physical dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") having a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Pentax VS20 has sizing of 111mm x 61mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 1.5") along with a weight of 235 grams (0.52 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax VS20 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have at that time. Here is the front view over all size comparison of the E-3 compared to the VS20.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and VS20 is 56 and 90 respectively.

Generally, it can be difficult to visualise the difference between sensor sizes merely by reviewing specs. The picture here will help provide you a clearer sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and VS20.

As you can plainly see, both cameras posses different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-3 having a larger sensor will make shooting shallow DOF less difficult and the Pentax VS20 will offer you greater detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Greater resolution will make it easier to crop photos somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.