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Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V

Portability
56
Imaging
44
Features
56
Overall
48
Olympus E-3 front
 
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V front
Portability
90
Imaging
42
Features
50
Overall
45

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Key Specs

Olympus E-3
(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
  • Launched February 2008
  • Superseded the Olympus E-1
  • Replacement is Olympus E-5
Sony HX20V
(Full Review)
  • 18MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 25-500mm (F3.2-5.8) lens
  • 254g - 107 x 62 x 35mm
  • Launched July 2012
  • Older Model is Sony HX10V
  • New Model is Sony HX30V
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Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Overview

Below, we are comparing the Olympus E-3 versus Sony HX20V, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Small Sensor Superzoom by companies Olympus and Sony. There is a substantial difference between the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and HX20V (18MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and HX20V (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor size.

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The E-3 was revealed 5 years before the HX20V and that is quite a big difference as far as tech is concerned. The two cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony HX20V being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a step-by-step comparison, below is a brief summary of how the E-3 matches up against the HX20V with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-3 over the Sony HX20V

 E-3 HX20V 
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Selfie screen Easy selfies

Reasons to pick Sony HX20V over the Olympus E-3

 HX20V E-3 
LaunchedJuly 2012February 2008Fresher by 53 months
Display dimension3"2.5"Larger display (+0.5")
Display resolution922k230kClearer display (+692k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-3 and Sony HX20V

 E-3 HX20V 
Manually focus Very precise focus
Touch display Neither offers Touch display

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Physical Comparison

In case you're going to carry your camera frequently, you will need to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-3 offers exterior 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) whilst the Sony HX20V has sizing of 107mm x 62mm x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4") with a weight of 254 grams (0.56 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-3 versus Sony HX20V in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you have attached at the time. Below is the front view scale comparison of the E-3 vs the HX20V.

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V size comparison

Considering size and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and HX20V is 56 and 90 respectively.

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Sensor Comparison

Oftentimes, it is very difficult to see the gap between sensor sizing simply by reviewing specifications. The photograph underneath should offer you a far better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and HX20V.

To sum up, the two cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-3 having a larger sensor will make shooting bokeh simpler and the Sony HX20V will offer extra detail because of its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also make it easier to crop photos much more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be disadvantaged in sensor tech.

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V sensor size comparison

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Screen and Viewfinder comparison
Photography Glossary

Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-3 Portrait photography highlights
Sony HX20V Portrait photography highlights
56
focusing manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
resolution not great (10MP)
45
manual focus
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
features face detection focus
external flash not possible
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Street photography camera
Sony HX20V as a Street photography camera
69
fully articulated screen
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
environment sealing
61
image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competitors (254 grams)
no articulating screen
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-3
Sports photography with Sony HX20V
57
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
environment sealing
has phase detect autofocus
slow fps (5.0 fps)
resolution not great (10MP)
49
incredible zoom range (25-500mm 20.0 x zoom)
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
features tracking autofocus
no shutter priority mode
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-3 as a Travel photography camera
Sony HX20V as a Travel photography camera
55
environment sealing
flash built-in
selfie friendly display
lack of Timelapse recording
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
69
lighter than competitors (254 grams)
sensor resolution is decent (18 megapixels)
flash built-in
reasonably wide (25mm)
very long zoom (500mm)
lack of Time Lapse recording
screen isn't selfie friendly
slow max aperture (f3.2)
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-3 Landscape photography advice
Sony HX20V Landscape photography advice
56
focusing manually
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
supports RAW files
environment sealing
screen is small (2.5")
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
lack of Timelapse recording
50
manual focus
reasonably wide (25mm)
screen size is good (3")
image stabilization (Optical)
sensor resolution is decent (18MP)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW support
lack of Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-3 Vlogging highlights
Sony HX20V Vlogging highlights
18
can't shoot video
34
reasonably wide (25mm)
image stabilization (Optical)
features face detection focus
high res video (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competitors (254g)
slow max aperture (f3.2)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of external mic socket
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Olympus E-3 vs Sony HX20V Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-3 and Sony HX20V
 Olympus E-3Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Sony
Model Olympus E-3 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX20V
Category Advanced DSLR Small Sensor Superzoom
Launched 2008-02-20 2012-07-20
Physical type Mid-size SLR Compact
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic III BIONZ
Sensor type CMOS BSI-CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10MP 18MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3648 x 2736 4896 x 3672
Highest native ISO 3200 12800
Lowest native ISO 100 100
RAW data
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 11 9
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 25-500mm (20.0x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.2-5.8
Macro focus distance - 1cm
Amount of lenses 45 -
Focal length multiplier 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen size 2.5 inch 3 inch
Screen resolution 230k dots 922k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Screen technology - XtraFine TruBlack TFT LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.58x -
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60 secs 30 secs
Fastest shutter speed 1/8000 secs 1/1600 secs
Continuous shutter rate 5.0 frames/s 10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual mode
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 13.00 m 7.10 m
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Slow Sync
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/250 secs -
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1440 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video data format - MPEG-4, AVCHD
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None BuiltIn
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 890 gr (1.96 lb) 254 gr (0.56 lb)
Dimensions 142 x 116 x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") 107 x 62 x 35mm (4.2" x 2.4" x 1.4")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 56 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.6 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.5 not tested
DXO Low light score 571 not tested
Other
Battery life - 320 pictures
Style of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model - NP-BG1
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 10 sec, Portrait 1/2)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC/SDXC, Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/Pro-HG Duo
Card slots Single Single
Launch pricing $670 $397