Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
48
69 Imaging
49 Features
40 Overall
45
Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Launched February 2008
- Previous Model is Olympus E-1
- Newer Model is Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
Meta to Introduce 'AI-Generated' Labels for Media starting next month Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Overview
Following is a detailed overview of the Olympus E-3 and Sony A230, former is a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the A230 (10MP) is very similar but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and A230 (APS-C) provide different sensor dimensions.
Photobucket discusses licensing 13 billion images with AI firmsThe E-3 was announced 15 months prior to the A230 making them a generation away from one another. Each of these cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A230 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before getting right into a comprehensive comparison, here is a short highlight of how the E-3 scores vs the A230 in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.
Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Gallery
Here is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 & Sony Alpha DSLR-A230. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Sony A230 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Sony A230
| E-3 | A230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed | Fully Articulating display | |
| Selfie screen | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A230 over the Olympus E-3
| A230 | E-3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | May 2009 | February 2008 | More modern by 15 months | |
| Display size | 2.7" | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.2") |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Sony A230
| E-3 | A230 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual focus | Very accurate focus | |||
| Display resolution | 230k | 230k | Equal display resolution | |
| Touch display | No Touch display |
Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Physical Comparison
In case you're intending to carry around your camera often, you'll need to think about its weight and volume. The Olympus E-3 has external measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Sony A230 has sizing of 128mm x 97mm x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs).
Compare the Olympus E-3 and Sony A230 in our brand new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will change based on the lens you are employing at that time. The following is a front view physical size comparison of the E-3 versus the A230.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and A230 is 56 and 69 respectively.
Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Sensor Comparison
Quite often, its difficult to visualize the difference between sensor sizes simply by going over technical specs. The pic below will help offer you a clearer sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and A230.
As you can tell, the two cameras come with the identical megapixels but different sensor sizes. The E-3 has got the tinier sensor which should make obtaining bokeh harder. The more aged E-3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.
Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Screen and ViewFinder
President Biden pushes bill mandating TikTok sale or ban Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison
Sora from OpenAI releases its first ever music videoStreet Comparison
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhoneSports Comparison
Samsung Releases Faster Versions of EVO MicroSD CardsTravel Comparison
Photography GlossaryLandscape Comparison
Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a LandslideVlogging Comparison
Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images
Olympus E-3 vs Sony A230 Specifications
| Olympus E-3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 | |
|---|---|---|
| General Information | ||
| Brand Name | Olympus | Sony |
| Model | Olympus E-3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A230 |
| Class | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
| Launched | 2008-02-20 | 2009-05-18 |
| Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
| Sensor Information | ||
| Processor Chip | TruePic III | Bionz |
| Sensor type | CMOS | CCD |
| Sensor size | Four Thirds | APS-C |
| Sensor dimensions | 17.3 x 13mm | 23.5 x 15.7mm |
| Sensor area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
| Sensor resolution | 10 megapixel | 10 megapixel |
| Anti aliasing filter | ||
| Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
| Highest resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 3872 x 2592 |
| Highest native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
| Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
| RAW pictures | ||
| Autofocusing | ||
| Manual focus | ||
| Touch to focus | ||
| Continuous autofocus | ||
| Autofocus single | ||
| Autofocus tracking | ||
| Autofocus selectice | ||
| Center weighted autofocus | ||
| Autofocus multi area | ||
| Live view autofocus | ||
| Face detect focus | ||
| Contract detect focus | ||
| Phase detect focus | ||
| Number of focus points | 11 | 9 |
| Lens | ||
| Lens mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
| Total lenses | 45 | 143 |
| Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
| Screen | ||
| Display type | Fully Articulated | Fixed Type |
| Display sizing | 2.5" | 2.7" |
| Resolution of display | 230k dot | 230k dot |
| Selfie friendly | ||
| Liveview | ||
| Touch screen | ||
| Viewfinder Information | ||
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentamirror) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100 percent | 95 percent |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.55x |
| Features | ||
| Lowest shutter speed | 60s | 30s |
| Highest shutter speed | 1/8000s | 1/4000s |
| Continuous shooting speed | 5.0fps | 3.0fps |
| Shutter priority | ||
| Aperture priority | ||
| Manual exposure | ||
| Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
| Custom white balance | ||
| Image stabilization | ||
| Integrated flash | ||
| Flash range | 13.00 m | 10.00 m |
| Flash settings | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
| External flash | ||
| AEB | ||
| WB bracketing | ||
| Highest flash sync | 1/250s | 1/160s |
| Exposure | ||
| Multisegment exposure | ||
| Average exposure | ||
| Spot exposure | ||
| Partial exposure | ||
| AF area exposure | ||
| Center weighted exposure | ||
| Video features | ||
| Highest video resolution | None | None |
| Mic jack | ||
| Headphone jack | ||
| Connectivity | ||
| Wireless | None | None |
| 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 | 890g (1.96 lbs) | 490g (1.08 lbs) |
| Physical dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 128 x 97 x 68mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 2.7") |
| DXO scores | ||
| DXO All around score | 56 | 63 |
| DXO Color Depth score | 21.6 | 22.3 |
| DXO Dynamic range score | 10.5 | 11.4 |
| DXO Low light score | 571 | 531 |
| Other | ||
| Battery life | - | 230 photographs |
| Style of battery | - | Battery Pack |
| Battery model | - | NP-FH50 |
| Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Time lapse shooting | ||
| Storage media | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
| Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
| Retail pricing | $670 | $569 |