Olympus E-M10 III vs Sony A290

Here, we will be reviewing the Olympus E-M10 III and Sony A290, former being a Entry-Level Mirrorless while the latter is a Entry-Level DSLR by manufacturers Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M10 III (16MP) and the A290 (14MP) is relatively close but the E-M10 III (Four Thirds) and A290 (APS-C) boast totally different sensor size.

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The E-M10 III was revealed 7 years later than the A290 and that is a fairly serious difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both of the cameras feature different body design with the Olympus E-M10 III being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony A290 being a Compact SLR camera.

Before delving straight to a full comparison, here is a quick highlight of how the E-M10 III grades vs the A290 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

The following is a preview of the gallery photos for Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III & Sony Alpha DSLR-A290. The full galleries are available at Olympus E-M10 III Gallery & Sony A290 Gallery.

If you're aiming to carry your camera, you will have to factor in its weight and proportions. The Olympus E-M10 III has got physical measurements of 122mm x 84mm x 50mm (4.8" x 3.3" x 2.0") along with a weight of 410 grams (0.90 lbs) whilst the Sony A290 has measurements of 128mm x 97mm x 86mm (5.0" x 3.8" x 3.4") accompanied by a weight of 549 grams (1.21 lbs).

See the Olympus E-M10 III and Sony A290 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change dependant on the lens you are using at that time. Here is a front view scale comparison of the E-M10 III versus the A290.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M10 III and A290 is 80 and 66 respectively.

Sometimes, it's difficult to visualise the contrast in sensor sizing merely by looking through technical specs. The graphic underneath may offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M10 III and A290.

As you can tell, both of these cameras come with different resolutions and different sensor sizing. The E-M10 III with its smaller sensor will make achieving shallower DOF more challenging and the Olympus E-M10 III will provide you with extra detail because of its extra 2MP. Higher resolution can also make it easier to crop pictures a good deal more aggressively. The fresher E-M10 III will have an edge with regard to sensor innovation.