Olympus E-3 vs Samsung NX30

Below is a extended analysis of the Olympus E-3 and Samsung NX30, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Advanced Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Samsung. There is a big difference among the resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and NX30 (20MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and NX30 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-3 was revealed 6 years prior to the NX30 and that is a fairly big gap as far as camera tech is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Samsung NX30 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a step-by-step comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-3 matches up vs the NX30 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

The following is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 and Samsung NX30. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Samsung NX30 Gallery.

When you are looking to lug around your camera regularly, you're going to have to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 enjoys exterior dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Samsung NX30 has proportions of 127mm x 96mm x 58mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.3") accompanied by a weight of 375 grams (0.83 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 and Samsung NX30 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you have chosen at the time. Here is the front view scale comparison of the E-3 vs the NX30.

Considering size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and NX30 is 56 and 75 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to envision the difference in sensor measurements purely by viewing specs. The graphic below may give you a better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and NX30.

All in all, both the cameras enjoy different resolutions and different sensor measurements. The E-3 using its smaller sensor will make getting shallow depth of field trickier and the Samsung NX30 will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 10MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop photos far more aggressively. The older E-3 will be behind in sensor technology.