Olympus E-3 vs Sony A100

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Sony A100, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by competitors Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the A100 (10MP) is pretty similar but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and A100 (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was unveiled 19 months after the A100 which makes the cameras a generation away from each other. Both the cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A100 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving in to a step-by-step comparison, below is a short highlight of how the E-3 grades against the A100 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A100. The full galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Sony A100 Gallery.

When you are going to carry around your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 provides exterior measurements 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 Sony A100 has proportions of 133mm x 95mm x 71mm (5.2" x 3.7" x 2.8") along with a weight of 638 grams (1.41 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-3 versus Sony A100 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Bear in mind, the weight of an ILC will vary depending on the lens you have attached at that moment. Here is the front view proportions comparison of the E-3 against the A100.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and A100 is 56 and 64 respectively.

Often, it can be tough to envision the gap between sensor sizes purely by going over technical specs. The picture here may give you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and A100.

As you have seen, both cameras posses the exact same MP albeit not the same sensor sizes. The E-3 provides the tinier sensor which will make achieving shallow depth of field more difficult. The newer E-3 will have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.