Olympus E-3 vs Sony NEX-5

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-3 versus Sony NEX-5, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by rivals Olympus and Sony. There is a big difference between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and NEX-5 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5 (APS-C) boast different sensor dimensions.

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The E-3 was manufactured 3 years earlier than the NEX-5 and that is quite a big 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 NEX-5 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting into a step-by-step comparison, here is a concise summary of how the E-3 matches up against the NEX-5 when it comes to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Below is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus E-3 and Sony Alpha NEX-5. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Sony NEX-5 Gallery.

In case you're aiming to carry your camera often, you will need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 has external dimensions 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 NEX-5 has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 38mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") having a weight of 287 grams (0.63 lbs).

Check out the Olympus E-3 versus Sony NEX-5 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary dependant on the lens you choose at that moment. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-3 against the NEX-5.

Using size and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and NEX-5 is 56 and 89 respectively.

In many cases, it can be difficult to imagine the contrast between sensor sizing purely by reviewing a spec sheet. The graphic underneath may provide you a clearer sense of the sensor sizes in the E-3 and NEX-5.

As you can see, the 2 cameras provide different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-3 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting bokeh more challenging and the Sony NEX-5 will deliver more detail due to its extra 4MP. Greater resolution can also allow you to crop photos more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.