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Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3

Portability
65
Imaging
41
Features
40
Overall
40
Olympus E-330 front
 
Olympus PEN E-PL3 front
Portability
88
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Key Specs

Olympus E-330
(Full Review)
  • 7MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.5" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 100 - 400 (Bump to 1600)
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 616g - 140 x 87 x 72mm
  • Introduced March 2006
  • Alternate Name is EVOLT E-330
  • Superseded the Olympus E-300
  • Successor is Olympus E-450
Olympus E-PL3
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Tilting Screen
  • ISO 200 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 313g - 110 x 64 x 37mm
  • Launched September 2011
  • Older Model is Olympus E-PL2
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Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Overview

On this page, we will be looking at the Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3, one being a Advanced DSLR and the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are created by Olympus. There exists a huge gap among the resolutions of the E-330 (7MP) and E-PL3 (12MP) but both cameras provide the same sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-330 was introduced 6 years before the E-PL3 and that is a fairly significant gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-330 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving right into a more detailed comparison, here is a brief summary of how the E-330 scores vs the E-PL3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

Photography Glossary
	
	

Reasons to pick Olympus E-330 over the Olympus E-PL3

 E-330 E-PL3 

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL3 over the Olympus E-330

 E-PL3 E-330 
LaunchedSeptember 2011March 2006Fresher by 67 months
Screen dimensions3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution460k215kCrisper screen (+245k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-PL3

 E-330 E-PL3 
Manually focus More exact focus
Screen typeTiltingTiltingTilting screen
Selfie screen Lacking selfie screen
Touch friendly screen Lacking Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Physical Comparison

In case you're intending to carry your camera frequently, you need to think about its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-330 enjoys outside measurements of 140mm x 87mm x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") having a weight of 616 grams (1.36 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL3 has dimensions of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") having a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).

Check the Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you select at that moment. Here is a front view dimension comparison of the E-330 versus the E-PL3.

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 size comparison

Taking into account dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-330 and E-PL3 is 65 and 88 respectively.

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it can be tough to envision the difference in sensor sizing just by checking out specs. The photograph below should provide you a much better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-330 and E-PL3.

As you can plainly see, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions albeit not the same MP. You should expect the Olympus E-PL3 to show greater detail using its extra 5MP. Higher resolution will enable you to crop shots a bit more aggressively. The older E-330 will be disadvantaged in sensor technology.

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-330 Portrait photography details
Olympus E-PL3 Portrait photography details
54
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
low MP (7MP)
60
manual focus
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers face detect autofocus
saves RAW files
low MP (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-330 Street photography information
Olympus E-PL3 Street photography information
60
tilting screen
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
lighter than competition in class (616g)
no image stabilization
low maximum ISO (400)
84
tilting screen
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-330 Sports photography factors
Olympus E-PL3 Sports photography factors
40
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
has phase detect AF
max fps very slow (3.0 frames/s)
no image stabilization
low MP (7MP)
45
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
offers tracking focus
slow fps (6.0 fps)
low MP (12MP)
bad battery (300 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-330 as a Travel photography camera
Olympus E-PL3 as a Travel photography camera
50
lighter than competition in class (616 grams)
built-in flash
missing Time Lapse recording
low MP (7 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
44
lack of Timelapse recording
bad battery (300 CIPA)
low MP (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-330 Landscape photography factors
Olympus E-PL3 Landscape photography factors
45
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
screen is small (2.5 inch)
no image stabilization
low MP (7MP)
low maximum ISO (400)
missing Time Lapse recording
61
manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen is a decent size (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW files
low MP (12 megapixels)
bad battery (300 shots)
lack of Timelapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-330 Vlogging details
Olympus E-PL3 Vlogging details
9
no video recording
34
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers face detect autofocus
high video quality (1920 x 1080 pixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
lack of microphone jack
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Olympus E-330 vs Olympus E-PL3 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-330 and Olympus E-PL3
 Olympus E-330Olympus PEN E-PL3
General Information
Brand Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus E-330 Olympus PEN E-PL3
Otherwise known as EVOLT E-330 -
Type Advanced DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Introduced 2006-03-18 2011-09-20
Body design Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Processor Chip - Truepic VI
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 7 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Full resolution 3136 x 2352 4032 x 3024
Max native ISO 400 12800
Max boosted ISO 1600 -
Lowest native ISO 100 200
RAW support
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Number of focus points 3 35
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Total lenses 45 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Screen type Tilting Tilting
Screen sizing 2.5" 3"
Screen resolution 215 thousand dot 460 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech - HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 95% -
Viewfinder magnification 0.47x -
Features
Slowest shutter speed 60 seconds 60 seconds
Maximum shutter speed 1/4000 seconds 1/4000 seconds
Continuous shooting speed 3.0 frames/s 6.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Change WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range - no built-in flash
Flash options Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels)
External flash
AEB
White balance bracketing
Maximum flash sync 1/180 seconds 1/160 seconds
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution None 1920x1080
Video format - AVCHD, Motion JPEG
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 616 grams (1.36 lb) 313 grams (0.69 lb)
Physical dimensions 140 x 87 x 72mm (5.5" x 3.4" x 2.8") 110 x 64 x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5")
DXO scores
DXO All around score not tested 52
DXO Color Depth score not tested 20.9
DXO Dynamic range score not tested 10.3
DXO Low light score not tested 499
Other
Battery life - 300 pictures
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model - BLS-5
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots 1 1
Launch pricing $1,100 $399