Olympus E-3 vs Sony A55

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-3 vs Sony A55, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. There exists a large gap between the sensor resolutions of the E-3 (10MP) and A55 (16MP) and the E-3 (Four Thirds) and A55 (APS-C) come with different sensor sizing.

Photography Glossary

The E-3 was brought out 3 years earlier than the A55 which is quite a serious difference as far as technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-3 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony A55 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before going through a in depth comparison, below is a quick introduction of how the E-3 matches up versus the A55 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-3 & Sony SLT-A55. The entire galleries are viewable at Olympus E-3 Gallery & Sony A55 Gallery.

For anyone who is going to carry around your camera often, you have to factor its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-3 features outer measurements of 142mm x 116mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") accompanied by a weight of 890 grams (1.96 lbs) whilst the Sony A55 has measurements of 124mm x 92mm x 85mm (4.9" x 3.6" x 3.3") with a weight of 500 grams (1.10 lbs).

Look at the Olympus E-3 vs Sony A55 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Don't forget, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you choose during that time. Below is the front view size comparison of the E-3 compared to the A55.

Considering dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-3 and A55 is 56 and 67 respectively.

Typically, it's hard to imagine the difference between sensor sizes merely by reading specifications. The picture underneath may give you a more clear sense of the sensor measurements in the E-3 and A55.

To sum up, each of the cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor sizes. The E-3 because of its tinier sensor is going to make getting shallow DOF harder and the Sony A55 will offer you more detail having its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also make it easier to crop shots a little more aggressively. The more aged E-3 is going to be behind with regard to sensor tech.