Olympus E-3 vs Sony A33

Its time to look closer at the Olympus E-3 versus Sony A33, former being a Advanced DSLR while the other is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a considerable gap between the image resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and A33 (14MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and A33 (APS-C) provide totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-3 was introduced 3 years earlier than the A33 and that is quite a large difference as far as technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A33 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a detailed comparison, here is a simple summation of how the E-3 scores against the A33 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-3 & Sony SLT-A33. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Sony A33 Gallery.

If you are going to lug around your camera, you're going to have to consider its weight and size. The Olympus E-3 provides outer 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 A33 has specifications of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") and a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Compare the Olympus E-3 versus Sony A33 in our completely new Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you have at the time. Following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-3 against the A33.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-3 and A33 is 56 and 67 respectively.

Normally, it is hard to see the gap between sensor measurements merely by looking at technical specs. The graphic underneath will help offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-3 and A33.

As you have seen, the two cameras feature different megapixel count and different sensor measurements. The E-3 with its tinier sensor will make shooting bokeh trickier and the Sony A33 will give more detail using its extra 4MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images way more aggressively. The older E-3 is going to be behind in sensor innovation.