Olympus E-510 vs Sony NEX-3

Let's look more in depth at the Olympus E-510 versus Sony NEX-3, one being a Advanced DSLR and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by competitors Olympus and Sony. There exists a sizeable gap among the resolutions of the E-510 (10MP) and NEX-3 (14MP) and the E-510 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) provide different sensor sizing.

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The E-510 was announced 3 years before the NEX-3 and that is a fairly large gap as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras have different body design with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before going right into a more detailed comparison, here is a concise highlight of how the E-510 grades versus the NEX-3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus E-510 and Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-510 Gallery and Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

When you are aiming to carry your camera often, you will need to take into account its weight and size. The Olympus E-510 offers exterior measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") having a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has specifications of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") along with a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Contrast the Olympus E-510 versus Sony NEX-3 in the all new Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are utilising during that time. The following is a front view proportions comparison of the E-510 versus the NEX-3.

Taking into consideration dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-510 and NEX-3 is 69 and 89 respectively.

More often than not, it is hard to imagine the contrast in sensor sizing only by seeing a spec sheet. The photograph underneath will provide you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and NEX-3.

Clearly, each of the cameras have different megapixel count and different sensor sizing. The E-510 having a smaller sensor is going to make getting shallower DOF more difficult and the Sony NEX-3 will provide extra detail with its extra 4 Megapixels. Greater resolution will also help you crop photos a bit more aggressively. The older E-510 will be disadvantaged with regard to sensor tech.