Olympus E-3 vs Sony W230

Lets look a bit more closely at the Olympus E-3 vs Sony W230, one is a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Small Sensor Compact by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-3 (10MP) and the W230 (12MP) is relatively similar but the E-3 (Four Thirds) and W230 (1/2.3") have different sensor sizes.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was manufactured 12 months prior to the W230 so they are of a similar generation. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony W230 being a Compact camera.

Before delving right into a complete comparison, here is a quick view of how the E-3 grades versus the W230 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

Here is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus E-3 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W230. The entire galleries are provided at Olympus E-3 Gallery and Sony W230 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera, you need to consider its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-3 provides physical measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Sony W230 has proportions of 95mm x 57mm x 22mm (3.7" x 2.2" x 0.9") with a weight of 156 grams (0.34 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-3 vs Sony W230 in the latest Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Keep in mind, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Here is a front view physical size comparison of the E-3 against the W230.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-3 and W230 is 56 and 95 respectively.

Quite often, its difficult to picture the gap between sensor sizes purely by reading specifications. The picture below might offer you a more clear sense of the sensor sizing in the E-3 and W230.

To sum up, both the cameras feature different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-3 because of its bigger sensor is going to make achieving shallower depth of field simpler and the Sony W230 will deliver more detail due to its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution will let you crop shots way more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor tech.