Olympus E-M10 vs Sony NEX-3

The following is a in-depth overview of the Olympus E-M10 and Sony NEX-3, both Entry-Level Mirrorless digital cameras by brands Olympus and Sony. The resolution of the E-M10 (16MP) and the NEX-3 (14MP) is very well matched but the E-M10 (Four Thirds) and NEX-3 (APS-C) feature totally different sensor sizing.

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The E-M10 was introduced 3 years after the NEX-3 which is quite a significant difference as far as technology is concerned. The two cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M10 being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Sony NEX-3 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before we go straight into a complete comparison, below is a short synopsis of how the E-M10 grades versus the NEX-3 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

This is a sample of the gallery pics for Olympus OM-D E-M10 & Sony Alpha NEX-3. The whole galleries are available at Olympus E-M10 Gallery & Sony NEX-3 Gallery.

For those who are planning to travel with your camera, you'll have to factor its weight and size. The Olympus E-M10 features outside dimensions of 119mm x 82mm x 46mm (4.7" x 3.2" x 1.8") having a weight of 396 grams (0.87 lbs) whilst the Sony NEX-3 has specifications of 117mm x 62mm x 33mm (4.6" x 2.4" x 1.3") and a weight of 297 grams (0.65 lbs).

Analyze the Olympus E-M10 and Sony NEX-3 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Take into consideration, the weight of an ILC will differ based on the lens you use during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-M10 and the NEX-3.

Using dimensions and weight, the portability grade of the E-M10 and NEX-3 is 82 and 89 respectively.

Quite often, its hard to see the gap between sensor dimensions merely by reading through a spec sheet. The image here might offer you a stronger sense of the sensor dimensions in the E-M10 and NEX-3.

As you can see, both of these cameras offer different megapixels and different sensor dimensions. The E-M10 using its tinier sensor will make achieving shallow depth of field more challenging and the Olympus E-M10 will resolve greater detail using its extra 2MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images a little more aggressively. The newer E-M10 is going to have a benefit when it comes to sensor tech.