Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W60

Let's look a bit more in depth at the Olympus E-3 and Pentax W60, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The sensor resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the W60 (10MP) is pretty comparable but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and W60 (1/2.3") offer totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-3 was brought out 16 months before the W60 which makes them a generation away from each other. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax W60 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight to a complete comparison, here is a quick synopsis of how the E-3 matches up versus the W60 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Optio W60. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax W60 Gallery.

For those who are aiming to carry around your camera often, you should factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 provides outside measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Pentax W60 has specifications of 98mm x 56mm x 25mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0") with a weight of 165 grams (0.36 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-3 and Pentax W60 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ dependant on the lens you choose at the time. Underneath is a front view size comparison of the E-3 compared to the W60.

Using size and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and W60 is 56 and 94 respectively.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to visualise the difference in sensor sizes only by going through technical specs. The picture underneath might give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and W60.

As you have seen, the 2 cameras feature the identical MP albeit not the same sensor sizes. The E-3 has got the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallow DOF simpler. The more aged E-3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor technology.