Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390
56 Imaging
44 Features
56 Overall
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66 Imaging
54 Features
54 Overall
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Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
- 2.5" Fully Articulated Screen
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- 1/8000s Max Shutter
- No Video
- Micro Four Thirds Mount
- 890g - 142 x 116 x 75mm
- Announced February 2008
- Replaced the Olympus E-1
- Replacement is Olympus E-5
(Full Review)
- 14MP - APS-C Sensor
- 2.7" Tilting Display
- ISO 100 - 3200
- Sensor based Image Stabilization
- No Video
- Sony/Minolta Alpha Mount
- 549g - 128 x 97 x 86mm
- Introduced July 2010
- Previous Model is Sony A380

Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Overview
Let's look closer at the Olympus E-3 versus Sony A390, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a crucial difference between the resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and A390 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and A390 (APS-C) have totally different sensor sizes.

The E-3 was unveiled 3 years earlier than the A390 which is quite a serious gap as far as tech is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A390 being a Compact SLR camera.
Before going right into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise introduction of how the E-3 scores versus the A390 for portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Gallery
This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A390. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Sony A390 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Sony A390
E-3 | A390 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Display type | Fully Articulated | ![]() | Tilting | Fully Articulating display |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Take selfies |
Reasons to pick Sony A390 over the Olympus E-3
A390 | E-3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduced | July 2010 | ![]() | February 2008 | Newer by 29 months |
Display dimensions | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Larger display (+0.2") |
Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Sony A390
E-3 | A390 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Manually focus | ![]() | More exact focus | ||
Display resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Exact same display resolution |
Touch display | ![]() | Lacking Touch display |
Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Physical Comparison
If you're intending to travel with your camera frequently, you have to factor its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 comes with exterior measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") along with a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Sony A390 has dimensions of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") with a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).
Check the Olympus E-3 versus Sony A390 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Bear in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are utilizing at the time. Below is a front view scale comparison of the E-3 against the A390.

Taking into consideration size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and A390 is 56 and 66 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Sensor Comparison
Often, it's tough to envision the difference between sensor dimensions merely by going over specifications. The picture below will give you a better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and A390.
To sum up, each of the cameras provide different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-3 having a tinier sensor will make achieving shallower depth of field more difficult and the Sony A390 will offer you greater detail having an extra 4MP. Greater resolution will allow you to crop images more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Sony A390 Specifications
Olympus E-3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Olympus | Sony |
Model type | Olympus E-3 | Sony Alpha DSLR-A390 |
Type | Advanced DSLR | Entry-Level DSLR |
Announced | 2008-02-20 | 2010-07-28 |
Body design | Mid-size SLR | Compact SLR |
Sensor Information | ||
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 surface area | 224.9mm² | 369.0mm² |
Sensor resolution | 10MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 | 3:2 and 16:9 |
Max resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4592 x 3056 |
Max native ISO | 3200 | 3200 |
Minimum native ISO | 100 | 100 |
RAW support | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch to focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
AF single | ||
AF tracking | ||
AF selectice | ||
Center weighted AF | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Total focus points | 11 | 9 |
Lens | ||
Lens support | Micro Four Thirds | Sony/Minolta Alpha |
Amount of lenses | 45 | 143 |
Focal length multiplier | 2.1 | 1.5 |
Screen | ||
Screen type | Fully Articulated | Tilting |
Screen sizing | 2.5 inches | 2.7 inches |
Screen resolution | 230 thousand dot | 230 thousand dot |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch display | ||
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) | Optical (pentamirror) |
Viewfinder coverage | 100% | 95% |
Viewfinder magnification | 0.58x | 0.49x |
Features | ||
Min shutter speed | 60 secs | 30 secs |
Max shutter speed | 1/8000 secs | 1/4000 secs |
Continuous shutter speed | 5.0 frames/s | 3.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manual exposure | ||
Exposure compensation | Yes | Yes |
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Inbuilt flash | ||
Flash distance | 13.00 m | 10.00 m (at ISO 100) |
Flash modes | Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Rear Curtain, Wireless |
External flash | ||
Auto exposure bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Max flash sync | 1/250 secs | 1/160 secs |
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Max 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 proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 890g (1.96 lbs) | 549g (1.21 lbs) |
Physical dimensions | 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") | 128 x 97 x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO Overall rating | 56 | 66 |
DXO Color Depth rating | 21.6 | 22.5 |
DXO Dynamic range rating | 10.5 | 11.5 |
DXO Low light rating | 571 | 607 |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 230 images |
Type of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | - | NP-FH50 |
Self timer | Yes (2 or 12 sec) | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
Time lapse shooting | ||
Type of storage | Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card | SD/ SDHC, Memory Stick Pro Duo |
Storage slots | 1 | 1 |
Launch pricing | $670 | $500 |