Olympus E-3 vs Sony NEX-3N

Here, we will be contrasting the Olympus E-3 versus Sony NEX-3N, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Sony. There is a huge difference among the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and NEX-3N (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3N (APS-C) posses totally different sensor size.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was announced 6 years prior to the NEX-3N which is a fairly significant gap as far as camera tech is concerned. Both cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3N being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go into a in depth comparison, here is a concise overview of how the E-3 grades vs the NEX-3N when considering portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-3 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N. The whole galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Sony NEX-3N Gallery.

If you're looking to carry around your camera frequently, you need to consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 offers outside measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) and the Sony NEX-3N has dimensions of 110mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.4") accompanied by a weight of 269 grams (0.59 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-3 versus Sony NEX-3N in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that moment. Following is a front view measurements comparison of the E-3 against the NEX-3N.

Looking at size and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and NEX-3N is 56 and 89 respectively.

Usually, its tough to see the contrast in sensor sizes merely by looking through a spec sheet. The picture here should provide you a far better sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and NEX-3N.

Clearly, both of the cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizes. The E-3 with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallow DOF harder and the Sony NEX-3N will result in more detail with its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also enable you to crop photographs a good deal more aggressively. The more aged E-3 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.