Olympus E-3 vs Sony NEX-5T

Below, we are evaluating the Olympus E-3 versus Sony NEX-5T, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a big gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and NEX-5T (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and NEX-5T (APS-C) come with totally different sensor measurements.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was brought out 6 years before the NEX-5T and that is quite a big gap as far as technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-5T being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in-depth comparison, below is a brief synopsis of how the E-3 scores against the NEX-5T in terms of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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

When you are going to lug around your camera often, you should consider its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-3 has physical dimensions of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) while the Sony NEX-5T has dimensions of 111mm x 59mm x 39mm (4.4" x 2.3" x 1.5") with a weight of 276 grams (0.61 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 versus Sony NEX-5T in the new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will differ depending on the lens you are using during that time. Following is the front view physical size comparison of the E-3 vs the NEX-5T.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and NEX-5T is 56 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its tough to envision the contrast between sensor measurements just by looking at specs. The graphic here should offer you a greater sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and NEX-5T.

All in all, both of these cameras posses different megapixels and different sensor measurements. The E-3 because of its tinier sensor will make shooting shallow depth of field harder and the Sony NEX-5T will give you more detail having its extra 6MP. Greater resolution will also help you crop pics somewhat more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.