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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90

Portability
56
Imaging
44
Features
56
Overall
48
Olympus E-3 front
 
Pentax Optio W90 front
Portability
94
Imaging
35
Features
21
Overall
29

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Key Specs

Olympus E-3
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 100 - 3200
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
  • Launched February 2008
  • Old Model is Olympus E-1
  • Updated by Olympus E-5
Pentax W90
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-140mm (F3.5-5.5) lens
  • 164g - 108 x 59 x 25mm
  • Released February 2010
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Overview

Let's look a little more closely at the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Waterproof by rivals Olympus and Pentax. The resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the W90 (12MP) is fairly well matched but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and W90 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was introduced 24 months earlier than the W90 making the cameras a generation apart from one another. Each of the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax W90 being a Compact camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-3 scores vs the W90 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Pentax W90

 E-3 W90 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Pentax W90 over the Olympus E-3

 W90 E-3 
ReleasedFebruary 2010February 2008More recent by 24 months
Display dimension2.7"2.5"Larger display (+0.2")

Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Pentax W90

 E-3 W90 
Focus manually More precise focus
Display resolution230k230kIdentical display resolution
Touch display Lacking Touch display

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Physical Comparison

When you are planning to lug around your camera regularly, you should factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 offers outside 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 Pentax W90 has measurements of 108mm x 59mm x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0") along with a weight of 164 grams (0.36 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are employing at that moment. Below is the front view physical size comparison of the E-3 against the W90.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and W90 is 56 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Sensor Comparison

Typically, it can be hard to see the contrast between sensor measurements just by checking specifications. The visual below might provide you a stronger sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and W90.

Plainly, each of the cameras have got different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 with its larger sensor will make achieving shallower DOF less difficult and the Pentax W90 will give more detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will enable you to crop pics much more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Portrait photography camera
Pentax W90 as a Portrait photography camera
56
manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
27
manual focus
manual exposure not available
can't use external flash
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-3
Street photography with Pentax W90
69
screen articulates
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
weather proofing
54
environment proofing
screen is fixed
lack of image stabilization
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
Photography Glossary

Sports Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Sports photography camera
Pentax W90 as a Sports photography camera
57
maximum shutter speed is high (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
weather proofing
comes with phase detect auto focus
low fps (5.0 frames/s)
megapixel count low (10MP)
24
environment proofing
painfully slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority
lack of image stabilization
MP count low (12MP)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-3 Travel photography advice
Pentax W90 Travel photography advice
55
weather proofing
has built in flash
display is selfie friendly
doesn't have Time Lapse function
megapixel count low (10MP)
64
environment proofing
has built in flash
rather wide (28mm)
MP count low (12MP)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Landscape photography camera
Pentax W90 as a Landscape photography camera
56
manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
weather proofing
screen is small (2.5 inches)
megapixel count low (10MP)
doesn't have Time Lapse function
37
manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
environment proofing
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
screen is somewhat small (2.7 inch)
manual exposure not available
lack of image stabilization
MP count low (12 megapixels)
very small sensor size (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-3 Vlogging highlights
Pentax W90 Vlogging highlights
18
no video shooting
25
rather wide (28mm)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
lack of image stabilization
video res low (1280 x 720 pxls)
does not have microphone port
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Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-3 and Pentax W90
 Olympus E-3Pentax Optio W90
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus E-3 Pentax Optio W90
Type Advanced DSLR Waterproof
Launched 2008-02-20 2010-02-24
Body design Mid-size SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Processor TruePic III Prime
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Highest resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 3200 6400
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Number of focus points 11 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-140mm (5.0x)
Max aperture - f/3.5-5.5
Macro focus distance - 1cm
Available lenses 45 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen sizing 2.5 inch 2.7 inch
Screen resolution 230 thousand dot 230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch capability
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60 seconds 4 seconds
Highest shutter speed 1/8000 seconds 1/1500 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 5.0 frames per second 1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range 13.00 m 3.90 m
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Soft
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Highest flash sync 1/250 seconds -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1280 x 720 (30, 15 fps), 640 x 480 (30, 15 fps), 320 x 240 (30, 15 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1280x720
Video file format - Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 890 gr (1.96 lb) 164 gr (0.36 lb)
Dimensions 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") 108 x 59 x 25mm (4.3" x 2.3" x 1.0")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.6 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.5 not tested
DXO Low light score 571 not tested
Other
Battery model - D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots 1 1
Launch cost $670 $120