Olympus E-3 vs Pentax W90

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.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 and Pentax Optio W90. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Pentax W90 Gallery.

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.

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.

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

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.