Olympus E-M1 vs Sony NEX-C3

In this write-up, we are contrasting the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony NEX-C3, one being a Pro Mirrorless and the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by companies Olympus and Sony. The sensor resolution of the E-M1 (16MP) and the NEX-C3 (16MP) is fairly similar but the E-M1 (Four Thirds) and NEX-C3 (APS-C) enjoy totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-M1 was released 2 years later than the NEX-C3 and that is quite a large gap as far as technology is concerned. Both of these cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-C3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go through a more detailed comparison, below is a short introduction of how the E-M1 grades against the NEX-C3 with regard to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony Alpha NEX-C3. The complete galleries are available at Olympus E-M1 Gallery and Sony NEX-C3 Gallery.

If you're aiming to lug around your camera, you need to factor in its weight and dimensions. The Olympus E-M1 comes with external dimensions of 130mm x 94mm x 63mm (5.1" x 3.7" x 2.5") with a weight of 497 grams (1.10 lbs) and the Sony NEX-C3 has dimensions of 110mm x 60mm x 33mm (4.3" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 225 grams (0.50 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M1 versus Sony NEX-C3 in the latest Camera with Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Remember that, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change depending on the lens you have at the time. Following is the front view overall size comparison of the E-M1 against the NEX-C3.

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-M1 and NEX-C3 is 71 and 91 respectively.

Sometimes, it is very hard to visualise the difference between sensor measurements just by reviewing specs. The visual underneath will help provide you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M1 and NEX-C3.

As you can plainly see, both of the cameras offer the same exact megapixels but not the same sensor measurements. The E-M1 offers the tinier sensor which is going to make getting shallower depth of field more challenging. The newer E-M1 will have an edge when it comes to sensor technology.