Olympus E-510 vs Ricoh CX3

Its time to examine more in depth at the Olympus E-510 and Ricoh CX3, former being a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Small Sensor Superzoom by rivals Olympus and Ricoh. The resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the CX3 (10MP) is pretty close but the E-510 (Four Thirds) and CX3 (1/2.3") come with different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was revealed 3 years before the CX3 and that is a fairly large difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Ricoh CX3 being a Compact camera.

Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise highlight of how the E-510 scores versus the CX3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

Following is a preview of the gallery images for Olympus E-510 & Ricoh CX3. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery & Ricoh CX3 Gallery.

For anyone who is planning to lug around your camera often, you need to take into account its weight and volume. The Olympus E-510 enjoys outside dimensions of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") with a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Ricoh CX3 has sizing of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1") with a weight of 206 grams (0.45 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-510 and Ricoh CX3 in our newest Camera & Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an ILC will vary dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is the front view physical size comparison of the E-510 versus the CX3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and CX3 is 69 and 92 respectively.

Typically, it is very difficult to imagine the difference in sensor measurements only by viewing a spec sheet. The visual below will give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-510 and CX3.

Clearly, each of these cameras enjoy the same exact megapixel count albeit different sensor measurements. The E-510 provides the bigger sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field simpler. The older E-510 will be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.