Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL3

Its time to look a little more closely at the Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL3, one is a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and both of them are offered by Olympus. The image resolution of the E-5 (12MP) and the E-PL3 (12MP) is fairly well matched and they come with the exact same sensor sizes (Four Thirds).

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The E-5 was revealed 7 months prior to the E-PL3 so they are of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-5 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Olympus E-PL3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple synopsis of how the E-5 matches up against the E-PL3 in the way of portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

The following is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-5 and Olympus PEN E-PL3. The full galleries are provided at Olympus E-5 Gallery and Olympus E-PL3 Gallery.

In case you're going to carry around your camera often, you will have to factor in its weight and volume. The Olympus E-5 has got outer measurements of 143mm x 117mm x 75mm (5.6" x 4.6" x 3.0") and a weight of 800 grams (1.76 lbs) and the Olympus E-PL3 has sizing of 110mm x 64mm x 37mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.5") and a weight of 313 grams (0.69 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-5 vs Olympus E-PL3 in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into account, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will vary based on the lens you are working with at the time. The following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-5 versus the E-PL3.

Factoring in size and weight, the portability rating of the E-5 and E-PL3 is 58 and 88 respectively.

Usually, its hard to envision the difference between sensor sizes simply by checking technical specs. The picture below will help give you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-5 and E-PL3.

As you have seen, both cameras have got the exact same sensor measurements and the exact same resolution so you should expect similar quality of images although you should always factor the production date of the products into consideration. The more aged E-5 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor technology.